Sleeping With Ghosts
by Araceli
Summary: KOTOR. Its finally time for the crew to get on with their lives. Whether they stick together depends on Revan's decision to complete the Counci'ls next task or not. Carth and Revan try to make plans, but the Council refuses to lose their greatest Jedi.
1. Reminiscences

**Author's Note (2-12-07): **First, I've been away from this story for much too long. I'm back now though and for those of you still reading, it will be finished. I also wanted to point out that extensive revising has been done to all chapters for continuity reasons and minor changes in the plot. Also, some scenes have been lengthened and many added, but mostly in later chapters. Thank you and hope you enjoy!

**CHAPTER ONE: REMINISCENCES **

Carth glanced over the Twi'lek's shoulder restively, looking for Revan. The nameless Twi'lek was reciting every tale he knew about the decorated war hero, but Carth hadn't heard a word, though his occasional 'mhmm' and 'right' seemed to be enough to keep the Twi'lek animated in the conversation. Right in the climax of the tale of the final battle on the Star Forge, Carth excused himself, retreating to the darkest corner of the room, hoping to pass the rest of the evening relatively unnoticed.

People had slowly streamed into the reception room all night, itching for a glimpse of their heroes. Since early morning a line had steadily accumulated outside the hotel's doors. Carth was happy to see that the people supported them, but this was getting ridiculous. He recognized some of these faces from their last stop on Kuat.

Almost immediately after the Star Forge the Council sent Bastila, Jolee, Juhani, and Revan on a series of month long appearances and ceremonies. Carth had to report to Coruscant for debriefing before proceeding to Telos to meet up with Dustil, Mission and Zaalbar returned to Kashyyyk to see how Freyyr was faring with the Czerka, and Canderous flew the Ebon Hawk back to Tatooine to collect on a strange shipment they'd delivered to Motta from Korriban. A week and a half ago, Mission, Zaalbar, Carth, and Canderous got suckered into heading out on a small celebratory tour. Carth had hoped then that they might be joining back up with the rest of the crew, but his hopes had been unfounded until tonight.

He focused his gaze on the front door, knowing a commotion would begin once Revan and the other Jedi arrived. Since the destruction of the Star Forge nearly four weeks ago, Carth had seen Revan once and that had only been in passing. She left Coruscant the day he arrived for debriefing and he'd no more than looked at her before Bastila ushered her onto the ship. When Carth asked Bastila about the Council's reasoning for all the publicity, she confirmed it was just a stunt to save the council from too much disapproval for concealing the true fate of the former Dark Lord of the Sith and to prove that she was truly redeemed. But Carth had his own suspicions.

A hand suddenly slipped itself onto his shoulder, and he was reluctantly snapped out of his thoughts. Turning, he faced a concerned Mission.

"You know, you really shouldn't drink too much of that stuff," Mission said gesturing toward his tankard of the local drink, "Canderous says its got more kick than Tarisian Ale."

Carth didn't say anything in reply, but instead stared down into his glass at the brownish liquid.

"She's just as miserable you know," Mission offered, slightly frowning at the older man's appearance.

"And how would you know this?" Carth asked making a face as he downed the ale in one big gulp. It burned the whole way down and then some.

"Told ya so," Mission laughed. "I talked to Jolee this morning. You know how he likes to complain. He went on and on about her moping around all the time."

"You spoke to Jolee? So they're here then?"

"Yeah, they arrived this morning. She's here, Carth," Mission assured him.

He once again began searching the room, but found no need; his ears led him straight to her. She had no more entered the room and a tumult was triggered. As if she belonged, she stood shaking hands with the Governor and smiling for the crowd. Her dark hair was framing her face freely instead of up in that ridiculously short ponytail of hers, but it fell in a deeper contrast with her pale skin than usual. Carth had to look closely to see it, or perhaps he just knew what to look for, but he noticed how forced her motions seemed, how her eyes portrayed a different story than the airs she put on and how miserable she really was. People were flanked around her, all of them desperate to meet the savior of the galaxy and get their autoprints signed. Carth shook his head.

_If only they knew._

Revan felt his presence the moment she entered the door, but she couldn't see him for the throng of people surrounding her. She quickly latched onto Jolee out of sheer habit, as she'd done for a solid month now. Attending ceremonies with the nobles and politicians wasn't exactly her idea of _a month of rest and relaxation _as the Council had put it. She was sure she could vouch for the entire crew of the _Ebon Hawk_ when she said she would rather be back on the front lines dealing with the many pockets of Sith resistance or at least completing missions from the Council, even if they were only minor. But nevertheless she was stuck here and made a habit of following Bastila's example, smiling for them all. Every few seconds she looked up, her eyes searching the room for a glimpse of him, but without success. She spotted Canderous standing off to the side away from the commotion, nodding his salutation. Sighing, she gave him a strained smile and turned her attention back towards the crowd at her feet.

_One more appearance,_ she silently whispered to herself, _only one more._

Jolee suddenly drew closer to her, and she could barely make out his words as he whispered them in her ear. Her eyes suddenly darted to the far right corner of the room, the most dimly lit area. She saw Carth there leaning against the wall watching her, tumbler in hand, as he flashed that lopsided grin that made her dissolve.

As soon as the reception ended, Jolee went to the enclave to give the Council his two cents. _But knowing them, _he thought, _I'll probably have to throw in the whole damn roll of coins._

"I don't approve of this," Jolee voiced his opinion briskly. "He saved her. I know you would like to think it was the code and her training, but I was there on top of that temple. For a moment I feared that Revan may have been considering Bastila's offer. I could feel conflict within her and for a solitary moment the dark side was winning. I think that had she not had something to fight for she might not have succeeded, but once we were back to the ship, I knew my fears were unfounded."

"Something to fight for?" Vrook asked in obvious disgust, "She had the whole of the Republic resting on her shoulders. Was that not something to fight for?"

"I do not approve of this either," Juhani added, coming to stand beside Jolee, "I sensed this as well."

"She has made a commitment to the code and you know attachments are forbidden. This we cannot allow." Master Vrook stated.

"Remember your past, Jolee. This could end in the same fate," Master Vandar stated quietly.

"That was under completely different circumstances," Jolee said a little too defensively. "I somehow don't see Commander Onasi running off to join the Sith." He calmed himself before continuing, "But that is beside the point. After everything you've done to her and everything she's done for you, you're going to deny her the one thing that could truly make her happy? I'm not sure where the Council's heads have been, but she's miserable. Surely you've seen this."

"If she would find refuge in the Code," Vrook replied.

"Hmph. You obviously don't know Revan then. She'll leave the Order before she submits to this cockeyed plan of yours."

"We will deal with this, Jolee," Vrook stated gruffly, officially ending the discussion. He looked over at Bastila who'd not uttered a word in the debate. "Bastila, if you would please summon Revan, we wish an audience with her."

* * *

"So what do you think you'll do now with the tour almost over and everything?" Mission asked Revan as they made their way down the long, dimly lit corridor to their rooms. They'd left the reception as soon as possible and headed for their quarters; Revan wanted to change out of her ceremonial garb before seeking Carth. 

"I'm not too sure," Revan sighed, "The council hasn't really mentioned anything as of yet."

"Oh," Mission responded as they rounded the last corner of the hallway just before turning into Revan's quarters. "I thought you might have made plans with-"

Revan stopped abruptly, forcefully colliding with someone.

"-Carth," Mission finished.

Carth grabbed Revan's shoulders, softly pushing her back just enough so that he could see her face. A few strands of her black hair had fallen into her face. Gently, he tucked the strays behind her ear and became transfixed on her eyes. He recognized the melancholy swimming within them. It was parallel to his own.

He smiled, easing his arms around her waist. "Easy there, beautiful."

Revan stared up at him wrapping her arms around his neck and returning his smile. "You know, you should really watch where you're going there, flyboy."

"Well," he replied with a smirk, pulling her closer to him "I was really hoping to run into you."

Revan grinned, realizing just how much she truly missed this. For Revan, just being in the same vicinity as him sent a wave of calm splashing through her. Calm had been as foreign to her as the Sand People dialect these past few weeks, and she reveled at the thought of having it back again. These past few weeks had been frazzling for all of them.

"Really guys," Mission interrupted, scrunching her nose. "Get a room. You're sounding like one of those sappy old holovid romances."

Bastila cleared her throat as she came up behind them, Jolee chasing after her in close pursuit. "I hate to interrupt," Bastila began, "but the council wishes to speak with you, Revan."

Revan sighed deeply and lowered her gaze to the floor. If the council was summoning her at this hour then it was undoubtedly important. She leaned into Carth, suddenly not wanting to let go of his presence.

Glaring at Bastila coldly, Carth tightened his arms around Revan protectively. She buried her face into his chest and let out another long sigh. _Damn Council, _Carth thought as he noted how fragile Revan looked, _they've been in control of her life for the past month, can't they see how thin they're stretching her?_

"I'm sorry, but we really mustn't keep the-" Bastila stopped abruptly upon seeing the searing glower Jolee was giving her. Bastila had felt Revan's sudden calming as well and she now began to fidget anxiously with her robes. Revan hadn't felt this at peace since the end of the war.

"Dammit, can't you give her a moment's peace?" Jolee demanded of Bastila, "The council can wait; they've had her at their every beck and call for a month now. She more than deserves some time on her own."

Carth couldn't ever remember a time he'd been so happy to hear the old man say anything. He was really hoping he would get the chance to talk with Revan about the way they left things after the Star Forge. He wished they'd had this discussion a month ago but the Council had already claimed her attention then, and now when it looked like he would finally get the chance they were intervening _again_.

Revan smiled softly, she didn't want to leave him but she knew she had to. "I have to go with Bastila to see the Council, Carth. If they bothered to summon me this late, then it must be important."

It was Carth's turn to sigh. It went against his every desire, but if she felt it for the best then it probably was, "I suppose you're right, and I wouldn't want to get you into any trouble with the Council." He pulled her into another embrace and murmured into her ear, "Just don't leave without letting me see you this time alright?"

As Revan followed Bastila and Jolee out of the hotel, she cast a sideways glance at Bastila. Revan could sense much conflict within her, but dediced to wait until after they spoke with the Council to question her about it.

Revan didn't know what the Council wished to speak with her about. She was hoping to get a chance to talk to Carth about their future together tonight, but it seemed that every opportunity was somehow thwarted. Since the Star Forge she had seen Carth once, and they'd hardly had time for a conversation. Although they'd admitted their feelings, there were still so many things to be said. Never had they spoken of what would come after, but instead focused on making sure there would actually _be_ an after.

Upon entering the Council's chambers Revan immediately sensed the hostility Jolee emitted toward them. He gave Revan a weary glance and settled himself next to Juhani in the farthest corner of the room, where Bastila joined them. Revan suddenly felt uneasy.

"It is good to see you again. We trust that you are holding up well?" Master Vrook asked her.

"So far I have," Revan answered. _The council summoned me for this?_ "But I sense that you've called me here for more that a mere exchange of salutations."

"You always were perceptive," Master Vrook declared, "We've called you here to inquire about your plans."

"Have you made any?" Master Vandar questioned eyeing Revan curiously.

"I have no set plans," she replied cautiously. _But only because I've not had the time to make them._

"You mean you haven't made any arrangements with Commander Onasi? Interesting." Mr. Vrook interjected.

_Commander Onasi? This is about Carth?_ "Uh, noMaster, I haven't," she paused, "But may I inquire as to why?"

"The Council has a task for you to complete."

_Anything to get out of this damn tour._

"If you will report to us in the morning, the Council has much to discuss. Until then," Master Vandar dismissed her.

Revan left the enclave confused. Neither Bastila nor Juhani were offering any helpful information, so Revan turned to Jolee.

"Jolee, what in the hell was all that about?"

Jolee laughed, "Never were subtle were you? Hmph. Subtlety doesn't get you far anyway, not like a lightsaber wil-"

"Old man, you're rambling, what do you not want to tell me?"

"I thought we went over this already. How many times do I have to tell you before you get it? I'm entitled to ramble dammit, and if there's something I don't want to tell you, you won't hear it."

Revan rolled her eyes. That was it then. When Jolee made up his mind about something there was no changing it.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Revan decided to wait until Bastila was alone to ask her about her emotions. Revan never thought she would get used to the bond they shared, but it had proved useful on more than one occasion. She looked at the younger woman beside her, trying to read her expression. Bastila was utterly confused about something. Revan slowed down, pulling Bastila back with her, waiting until the other Jedi were out of earshot.

"Bastila, are you alright?"

Bastila's face remained neutral, but Revan felt a wave of apprehension run through her, "I... yes. I am fine."

Bastila attempted to catch up with the others, but Revan caught her arm, "Look Bastila, I know that something's going on with you, but I'm not going to pressure you into telling me what it is. Just know that I'm here whenever you need me, okay?" Revan offered a small smile. Whatever Bastila was dealing with worried her. She was fighting against herself.

"Thank you for the offer, Revan, but I am perfectly fine," Bastila replied briskly, before stalking off.

Revan sighed, making no attempt to catch up with the others. It was a pleasant night and something about Alderaan always cleared her mind. She ambled leisurely back towards the hotel, enjoying the slight breeze that danced across her cheeks as she found her thoughts returning to reminiscences of a certain Republic soldier.


	2. Equanimity

**CHAPTER TWO: EQUANIMITY**

Carth's cumbersome footsteps echoed dully through the vacant halls of the hotel as he aimlessly wandered about, not caring where his weary feet led him. It had been a restless night spent tossing and turning as he thought about the revelations on the Leviathan. For some reason, that night and the days that followed kept replaying themselves in his mind. Sometime in the predawn hours Carth resigned from attempting sleep and settled for pacing the long corridors of the hotel. His thoughts were an array of memories from the past weeks, flashing in fragments as the moments immediately following their escape from the Leviathan replayed themselves in his mind.

_"We've all seen the things she's done. Sure, most of them have been good, honest things that have really helped people. Things even you or I might not have done, but we've also seen the flip side of the coin," Carth stated quietly as he stared down the corridor that led to Revan's cabin where she retreated, "Can we really trust her?" _

_For the second time that evening Canderous was the first to back Revan. She had helped the entire crew in more ways than one. Even after everything she had done for Carth, he still didn't trust her? Canderous glared at him, hoping the flyboy would get his system off autopilot and look around for a change._

_"Let me put it to you like this, Republic," he stopped tinkering with the armor long enough to scowl at Carth, "The way I see it, its like she has two Kath hounds constantly fighting inside of her. One's your lightside, one's your darkside, always tugging one way or the other." Canderous tore his gaze away from Carth resentfully and once again began to reassemble the armor. The way Carth became so dubious when it came to Revan rubbed Canderous the wrong way._

_Carth stared at the Mandalorian, utterly confused. "But which one wins?"_

_Jolee sighed deeply, rubbing his temples, "Whichever one she feeds the most."_

Carth still couldn't believe everything that had happened since the Leviathan; it had all been so much. He never understood how Revan had dealt with her past, but somehow she both embraced it and shunned it. Whether that was for the best, though, still remained to be seen. She wouldn't talk about it with him, even when he questioned her.

Those few days before they found the last Star Map had been hell for the both of them. Carth had felt so many feelings arise within him that he became a disarray of emotions. A fleeting feeling of betrayal, followed by a quench of his thirst for vengeance, rage at the Council and the heavy weight of guilt for feeling that Alora Lantra had deceived him by concealing an identity she never knew, had all sunk into his soul. They coursed through him, muddling his senses.

But among the medley of confusion and anger, he had felt something for Revan. A feeling so long forgotten that its memory was no more than a vague twinge. Carth's emotions perplexed further when he came to the realization of his love for Revan. A love that he couldn't justify, but understood in every aspect. He had tried with every ounce of his being to hate her, but he could never hate her. Not Revan.

Carth smiled as he found himself in front of her quarters. The blasted woman made his head spin backwards, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Bastila paced across the small room, unconsciously counting her steps corner to corner. Wringing the sleeves of her robes she mumbled incoherently to herself, unable to decide if speaking to Revan would prove a wise course of action. Revan knew something was going on and Bastila feared that if she didn't tell her, Revan would soon find out on her own under far worse circumstances. _  
_  
After their unexpected encounter with Carth on Telos, Bastila lagged behind the others long enough for a quick exchange of heated words. Carth had accused her of guarding Revan from him as if he were the darkside himself. He knew Bastila abused the bond she held with Revan to monitor her feelings for him under the Council's strict orders. Bastila declared it was for Revan's own good, but she hadn't been able to make him understand before he stormed off mumbling about manipulation. 

Bastila had found herself seeking Revan's approval, mostly out of her growing respect for the woman. Revan handled everything with such strength and vivacity and had kept Bastila from adhering to a life she abhorred. But on the other hand, she felt Revan was anchoring too much to Carth. She could almost sympathize with her need, but feared Revan was becoming too dependent on Carth for equanimity, one of a Jedi's most necessary tools.

A sharp rap on the door quickly followed by a swish as it slid open interrupted her thoughts. Jolee entered the room with a whirring T3 at his heels.

"I don't have anything to say to you," Bastila declared turning away from him.

"Stop," Jolee ordered.

Bastila jerked around at the command. "Stop what?"

"Trying to keep them apart. Stop reporting everything that happens between them to the Council."

"Do you realize you're asking me to directly disobey the Council?"

"Yes."

"And," Bastila inhaled sharply, adding a shrill edge to her voice. "You know I could get cast out of the Order for that?"

"Yes," Jolee replied, smiling. He could feel the irritation flowing through her.

"Don't you think this could end horribly?" Bastila asked him incredulously, "On the Leviathan she resisted Karath's questioning at first, but when Carth nearly passed out from the pain she cracked. She was acting passionately instead of peacefully and could have jeopardized the entire mission!"

Jolee grinned coyly, "But she didn't did she?" He leaned back on his heels, crossing his arms nonchalantly, "Revan has an unusual destiny and Carth is a part of that. Regardless of what you may believe, Revan's destiny has yet to be fulfilled. The Star Forge was only one stepping stone along the way. As for Carth, we have yet to see how he will react to Revan's decision with the Council and what role he'll play.

"I thought you didn't meddle in affairs with the Council," Bastila replied pompously.

"I'm not meddling," Jolee huffed. "I'm merely rooting for the other side."

"And you think you know what decision Revan will make? She could very well agree with the Council."

"Where have you been, Bastila? Revan never agrees with anything," Jolee mused, "That's the problem with you kids these days. Never agree with anything your elders tell you and you always take the path you presume is easiest without weighing the consequences..."

Bastila threw her hands up in frustration, "Why do I even bother?" She stalked out of the room and down the hall towards Revan's quarters, leaving Jolee still rambling.

As she arrived in front of Revan's door, she could hear Carth's muffled voice resonating throughout the room.

"...but they've been trying to keep us apart, Revan! You may not see it, but take Telos for example. The second I saw you who came ushering you away? Last night, who was it that insisted you see the Council when we finally saw each other again?" Carth's eyes were fuming. "You have to see it."

"Carth, stop this," She began placidly, "If it wasn't for Bastila I wouldn't be here in the first place. Besides, she's just following her orders."

"Dammit, Revan" Carth turned away from her. He had never meant to get into this discussion with her this morning, but he couldn't help himself. Her faith in the Council irked him beyond belief, especially while he watched them manipulate her into doing their every will. Moving over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, he stared down to the streets three stories below. There were still crowds lingering in front of the hotel, but it was nothing compared to the uproar of last night. After a silent moment he spoke defeated, "I'm sick of watching them manipulate you."

Revan smiled at him earnestly. "They aren't manipulating me, Carth," she began as she walked toward him, maneuvering him so that he faced her, "The Council is doing what they think is best for me."

Carth sighed, wrapping his arms around her, "Is what they want truly best for you?"

"No," Revan answered, her lips closing on his, "What I want is what's best for me."

Grinning, Carth pressed his forehead against hers. He eased down, brushing her lips lightly. Pulling him closer, Revan deepened the kiss, relishing his nearness. He grasped her hand, following her lead into the adjoining room. Leaning her back on the bed, he once again claimed her lips for his own, planting teasing kisses at their edges. Revan ran her hands through his hair, brushing those two stubborn strands away from his eye. She followed his game, laying her own light kisses. But Carth took it one step further, slowly making his way down with a trail of tantalizing kisses along her neck, leaving her skin tingling with his touch.

Revan suddenly pulled away, mumbling. Carth looked at her, baffled.

"Bastila," she whispered and nodded toward the door. Revan could feel the sudden change within the Jedi. She'd gone from feeling ashamed to guilty to enraged in a matter of seconds. Revan could almost hear Bastila muttering the code through their bond. Straightening her tousled robes, she moved from under Carth, giving him an empathetic look and made her way towards the door.

On queue, Bastila knocked on the door twice before letting herself in. Carth sat himself up on the bed and grumbled something about vowing to plant HK outside the door with strict orders to blast anyone wanting to enter. Revan laughed quietly, silently agreeing. Turning, she met with a very perturbed Bastila staring at her with a furious glare.

"Come," Bastila ordered reaching for Revan's arm, "I need to speak to you." Bastila set a fast pace for the two of them as they exited the building and began to walk through the hotel's gardens. It was a humid morning and dew still dampened the ground, soaking the ends of their robes. Fog rolled across the horizon, casting a foreboding shadow across the landscape. The ocean seemed to yawn, stretching with the waves as it greeted the somber morning.

"Revan," Bastila paused, "I ...I'm sorry, Revan, for trying to come between you and Carth, but there's something you must understand." She paused expecting some sort of reaction, but Revan waited patiently.

"The Council feels that you may become too indulging in him. He distracts you from your meditations, and you are beginning to rely on him for your peace instead of the Code and the Force. I understand your need to be with him, but you can't just toss away the Council's teachings!"

Revan replied calmly, "I have not tossed away the Council's teachings, Bastila. I haven't been neglecting meditations. They seem to be the only peace I can find these days. With the tour and all this prancing around I've barely been able to just be."

"But you haven't been mediating, Revan, at least not on the Council's teachings. When you meditate you're thinking about him!"

Revan's brow furrowed, "As for Carth, what do you know of it Bastila? I have not seen him in a solid month. I think I at least deserve a day or two to be with him, but even that you won't allow me. Being without him is like losing my affinity with the Force. I lose my means to fight, and have nothing to defend myself with. He keeps me going, Bastila. He gives me the strength I need to move on and get past this.

"I don't know if you've noticed but every night I dream horrible, agonizing nightmares that I can't see or remember. I wake up with only a ricochet of feeling. I don't know what I dream, but I can feel it. The pain, the torment, all the suffering I've caused; it's all there, echoing inside of me." Revan fought for control of her emotions.

"Revan I-" Bastila began but was cut short.

"Don't," Revan commanded angrily, "I must go speak with the Council."

Bastila shifted her weight uncomfortably as she watched Revan disappear into the enclave. Revan's expression of her emotions worried her. When she was with Carth, Revan became oblivious to the world around her, aware of nothing but him. Anchoring to his presence, she let it overwhelm her. For a Jedi to feel that nothing mattered but them was a shortcut to the path of turmoil. Sighing, Bastila left the gardens, following Revan's path as an intense feeling of apprehension seeped into her.

Revan stood before the Council, masking her uneasiness. The conversation with Bastila stirred up emotions she would rather not have coursing through her as she spoke with them.

"Good morning, Revan," Master Vandar greeted upon her entrance.

"Good morning," she replied warmly, putting on an air of easiness.

"As you may know, Dustil Onasi, a former student of the Sith Academy on Korriban, joined the Order," Master Vrook began, cutting straight to the point. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bastila and Jolee enter the circular room.

"Yes, I have been informed."

Carth had told her how Dustil joined, and how proud he'd felt to see Dustil follow in his footsteps of serving the Republic.

"We would like you to take him as your padawan."

Revan stared at the Council, bewildered. _They want me to what?  
_"I...but I'm still only a padawan myself," she stammered.

"We've spoken with the Jedi Council on Coruscant and they feel that you have more than earned your title as Jedi Knight," Vandar explained.

_Jedi Knight?_ Revan's mind was reeling, "What about the trials?"

"Defeating Malak and destroying the Star Forge were your trials. That proved well enough that you are on the path of the light," Zhar stated.

"No," Revan answered firmly. She was not going to take Carth's son as her padawan. Talk about conflict of interest. Dustil had only just begun to talk to his father. Revan seriously doubted that he was ready to accept the fact that his father was in love with the woman who indirectly caused the death of his mother and destruction of his home planet, much less eagerly agree to spend his every waking moment following her teachings.

Behind her, Jolee grinned. "I told you," he whispered, leaning toward Bastila, "Revan never agrees to anything."

Bastila turned a cold shoulder, "You just wait old man. She's not been dismissed yet."


	3. Irresolution

**CHAPTER THREE: IRRESOLUTION**

No," Revan answered firmly. She was absolutely not taking Dustil as her padawan. "If I were to train him, it would be going against everything you've been preaching at me for the last few months. You of all people should know that."

"Ah," Master Vrook began, his eyes lighting up in the hope of catching Revan at her own wit, "So it is acceptable to forsake the rule against attachments when they restrain you from something you desire, but when you can benefit from them you hide behind it as your defense."

Revan fought to keep her expression neutral as she struggled to suppress her inner emotions. "Is it acceptable to preach against attachments then attempt to force one?"

"The attachment between Master and Padawan is very different than the one between a Jedi and Republic soldier," Vrook retaliated without hesitation.

Zhar interrupted before either Jedi's stubbornness could get the best of them, "Revan, we can only insist that you take him as your Padawan. The decision to train him is solely up to you."

"But why do you insist? There are a number of other Jedi that could take him. There is something you are not telling me."

_Perceptive indeed._ Vrook answered, "Dustil is a special case."

Revan winced at his choice of words. She hated hearing them before when the Council spoke to her on Dantooine, and she despised Vrook for saying them now. No longer able to control her frustration, her almond-shaped eyes fell into half-moon slits. "A special case?" Revan's tone was spiteful.

"Dustil will prove difficult, no doubt. The ideas embedded into his mind by the Sith won't be easily altered."

"Master Zhar is correct," Vandar interjected, "He will prove very strong willed."

_They're going to tip-toe around my questions._ Revan was beyond frustration, she was exasperated. She tried to control her anger and only with the help of Bastila through their bond did she succeed. "I would still like to know why you want me to train him."

"You're a redeemed Jedi," Vrook stated as if it was obvious. "We feel that you might have some common ground," he answered a little too smugly for someone who was supposed to be above such displays.

"Common ground?" Revan asked skeptically, waiting for an explanation.

"Revan, Dustil Onasi needs someone to understand his progress from a _special_ perspective. You have witnessed the temptation of the dark side first hand," Zhar rationalized.

_There's that damn word again._ "I know I was an," she paused. " An unusual case and I understand why you trained me. You had no other choice, but why are you pushing his training so hard? He's already almost to the age where most padawans take their trials. You said it yourself. You don't usually take on old padawans."

"And as we have also said, what is better than turning an enemy to our cause?" Vandar retorted.

"With the way things are headed, Revan, we're going to need him. The Sith are making every attempt to rebuild their numbers and their fleet as we speak. If we back off now they're liable to gain the upper hand again. We must go after the pockets of resistance and keep them from rallying new supporters," Zhar explained.

Vandar continued, "With the destruction of the Star Forge and the loss of their Dark Lord, they were left in disarray, but with the Sith there's always someone waiting to come to power. Even though one tyrant may fall, another will soon rise. There are always two, Revan. One master, one apprentice."

She lowered her gaze guiltily to the floor. "And they're usually far worse than their predecessor."

The same had been true for Revan and Malak. Revan's wrath had been brutal, but not reckless. Every destroyed world, every captured city, every death had served a purpose and not been without cause. Even as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Revan's assaults had held reason, whether it had been to advance military goals, to expose a weakness of the enemy, or as been a sacrifice that must be made. Revan didn't desire to destroy life, but instead merely craved to control it. When chalked up to the senseless devastation Malak had caused, Revan's wrath was almost unrivaled. If Malak's reign had continued much longer, the Republic would have crumbled at the tips of his fingers.

"Sleep on it," Zhar advised.

"Yes, when you have made your decision come and speak to us," Vandar agreed.

Revan nodded. Sighing, she trudged towards Jolee and Bastila.

With things looking to Jolee's favor, he was absolutely glowing, but Bastila, on the other hand, was glowering. She was not a bit amused at the scene playing out in front of her. All the Jedi knew what the successful training of Dustil would mean for Revan, but she couldn't figure out why Jolee was against it. It could grant her a seat on the Jedi Council and give her the title of Master. It wouldn't be such a bad thing for her...if it wasn't for Carth.

"So Jolee, what are you thinking?" Revan asked as they headed toward the entrance of the building.

"Well my dear," Jolee began, clapping her on the back, "I'm wondering if you are actually putting thought into training the boy."

Revan didn't answer at first, mulling over the encounter with the Council. "I didn't initially. I thought it was preposterous and the special case analogy didn't help, but Master Vandar was right. There's already a new Sith Lord and soon enough they will once again be rallying supporters. If Carth is right they will probably stick to the outer rim, convincing people from little known worlds to join their cause and attempt setting up a base somewhere to train them. I know it could take years, but if we could find them now..." she trailed off.

Jolee smirked at the still scowling Bastila. "In the end it's your decision. But what is Carth going to think about all this?"

Carth treaded through the grass, now worn into a path by his continuous pacing. He was anticipating the moment the enclave doors whooshed open, revealing whatever fate the Council was sure to lie at Revan's feet. She had already spent the entire morning inside and he could only guess as to how much longer it would drag on. An hour ago he gave up patiently waiting in her room, and followed Juhani and Canderous to the enclave. Looking for any sort of distraction, he suddenly turned to Canderous, deciding to voice his curiosity.

"You know, I figured you would take off after the tour. What's keeping you around?"

Canderous looked up at the pilot, trying to examine Carth's reason for the question. The two hadn't exactly developed the best history during their few months as crewmates aboard the _Ebon Hawk_. In fact, he found him downright annoying, but Canderous decided to humor him anyway. "I told you that I'd follow Revan anywhere. Unless she wants me to leave, then I don't plan to. Besides, I'm kind of interested to see what the Council has in store for her."

Carth didn't know how to take the answer. He was well aware of the fact that Canderous cared a lot about her, but whether it was anything beyond friendship he didn't know, "No other reason than that?"

Canderous cocked an eyebrow, amused, but before he could reply the enclave doors whooshed opened. "Not for the one you're thinking of, Republic," he finally answered, eyeing Bastila as she made her way towards them.

Too concerned with his own thoughts, Carth didn't hear the Mandalorian's reply. _If Bastila's smiling then things didn't go well._ After a moment when Revan didn't follow, he became concerned. No one but Jolee and Bastila seemed to know what the Council wanted to speak to her about. He was caught off guard when Juhani inquired about Revan's decision.

Bastila shook her head, looking a little dismayed, "She would like to speak to Carth."

_Juhani's frowning, another bad sign_. "And still no decision?" he heard the Cathar question.

He had to know now. "Decision? What decision?" The familiarity of the words struck a chord in him as he recited the exact phrase that led him into telling Revan he loved her. After he came to the realization of his love for Revan, he conjured up a dream, a magnificent dream of a life with Revan beyond the Star Forge, and this wasn't it.

As he had stood there on the sandy beach of the Rakata home world, he had hardly been able to get his mind back on track to finish the journey they had begun. She loved him. He couldn't wait until Malak and the Sith would be defeated and he would finally get peace and quiet with Revan, but now over a month later, he realized that peace and quiet had never come. He also recognized the possibility it never would. Not while she was in the Order. Carth was afraid that he would witness the demise of his dream, that it would be driven under, stifled by the heavy hands of time.

Juhani looked up at him gravely, "That is best left for her to explain."

Carth followed Revan back to her room at the hotel and as promised, he asked HK-47 to stand guard outside the door to assure they would not be interrupted. Inside, he stood in front of Revan, his stomach tying up in apprehensive knots.

"Carth," she began without preamble, "The Council promoted me to the rank of Jedi Knight."

The news took him by surprise. "Re...Really? But don't you have to pass the Trials?"

"The Star Forge served as my trial."

"Oh." Carth looked at the floor thoughtfully, nervously rubbing at the tension in his neck. "So what is the difference then, between Padawan and Jedi Knight?"

"Basically, I'm now able to receive assignments from not only the Council, but from the Senate and the Supreme Chancellor as well." Revan turned away from him, moving toward the windows to gaze at the slowly setting sun. _I can't tell him about Dustil, not until I've made my decision._ But then a very Jolee like voice stated its own opinion, _And don't you think he deserves a say? It is his son after all.  
_  
"Oh," Carth came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm proud of you, Revan."

_He has no idea what this could mean for me._ She wriggled out of his envelopment so that she could face him. "Things will be different."

"Well," Carth began prepared to make the best of things, "What does it really change? You know I would follow you anywhere." He once again tightened his arms around her, almost protectively, as if thinking of the danger that could possibly lie ahead.

"But what about your career. A promotion can't be far off. You've always wanted command of your own fleet and-"

"Yeah, but I threw myself into my career as a lifeline. It was the only thing I had to hold onto, it gave me a purpose. But now I have you." He rested his forehead against hers, grinning. "You keep me alive, Revan."

A lump quickly began to form in Revan's throat. _I can't tell him, I can't._ Her thoughts were a mass of flurries inside of her head, fleeting from one possible scenario to the next.

"TheywantmetotakeDustilasmypadawan," Revan blurted out, jumbling her words.

Carth stood back, bemused, "What?"

"They want me to take Dustil as my Padawan."

The words registered slowly. "Dustil as your Padawan?" It had been the least thing he expected to hear. On Telos, Dustil had conveyed to Carth his interest in joining the Republic as a soldier, but as a Jedi? Carth's mind was clouded with emotion. Mixed feelings of confusion and anger tangled his senses, making a very disobliging combination.

"This is what the Council asked of you?" Carth laughed mirthlessly at how preposterous it seemed. "Isn't there a bit of a conflict of interest here? I mean really. Dustil Onasi, a redeemed Sith, is to be trained by the same woman that caused him to fall into Sith hands in the first the place. A woman who only recently has proven herself redeemed."

The knot that had slowly been forming in Revan's throat plummeted into the inner depths of her stomach, wrenching with Carth's every word. _What was that supposed to mean?_

"Not to mention the fact that he is also my son." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his already ruffled hair. "Why do they want you to train him?"

"I don't know. Vandar rambled about similarities between us and common ground," she looked into his accusing eyes. "I didn't ask for this! The Council insisted that I train him and-"

He gaped at her, astounded, "You're not actually going to train him are you?"

"I...I don't know," she answered quietly. Gazing out the window, she caught sight of Carth's riled reflection. "Why does it matter to you who takes him as their padawan? Dustil will be trained either way."

"I ...it doesn't matter who trains Dustil," his voice softened, "as long as its not you."

Revan strived to keep her emotions dispassionate, but failed. "And why is that?" she snapped.

"Why?" he asked incredulously, "Because of who you are! He isn't exactly thrilled that I'm with you." Carth inhaled sharply, trying to force calmer tones into his voice. "He fled to the Council for refuge and now they're going to throw him right back to the source of his turmoil." Carth was looking at her, but he wasn't seeing her. He was caught up in horrible memories of destruction, chaos, and death, the old, unhealed wounds of Revan's dark past. He saw the visions Dustil would see in her, the destruction of Telos, the death of his mother.

_The source of his turmoil?_ "I'm not Darth Revan anymore, Carth." She whispered with a cool harshness. The words had cut her deep, piercing directly into the void that filled her past, an echoing abyss of oblivion that bled its contents into her soul. She clenched her jaw and a stony expression fell across her features.

Carth, realizing the harshness of his words, silently scolded himself for letting them fly so thoughtlessly. "Revan, I just don't know what to make of this. Ever since I met you that day on the _Endar Spire,_ nothing has been ordinary. The moment you entered my life, my world did a complete 180." Carth brought his hand up to her face, lightly stroking her cheek. "But that was okay, because before you Saul and the Sith had already turned it upside down. You only set it right again."

Carth turned away from her, instead letting his gaze fall on the horizon. The cascading sun cast a deep orange glow over the city, magnifying his appreciation of the Alderaanian architecture. Never turning away from the magnificent view that lay before him, he continued. "Its just that between a padawan and their master a bond forms. There has to be trust, respect, and a number of other qualities..." Carth trailed off. "I've missed out on that with Dustil for so long. I guess I just wanted to be the one to help him get back on his feet." He sighed. "Is he still on Telos?"

"Yes."

Afer a long, silent moment passed between them, he drew his austere gaze back to Revan. "I don't want you to train him."

"Right," she replied almost airily. Turning sharp on her heel, Revan retreated to the hotel's gardens. After an hour of unsuccessful mediation and relaxation techniques, she marched determinately toward the hotel's cantina. She took a seat at the bar, ordering the strongest drink the bartender carried. As she rose her glass to down the swirling liquid, it slipped from her grasp and drifted slowly back down onto the bar.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded a voice from beside her.

"What do you want, Bastila?" Revan grumbled not even turning to look at her. As she reached for her drink, it evaded her grasp once again.

"First, I don't want you drinking this stuff," She paused, glancing repulsively at a now hammered Rodian who had just downed his second glass of the liquor, "Its beyond intoxicating, the stuff is mind altering, Revan. And this is when the Council needs you to think your clearest."

"Yeah," Revan answered her voice carrying an annoyed intonation, "I've had about enough of the Council."

Bastila ignored the comment and sat onto the stool next to Revan. "So what do you plan to do?"

"I don't know," she stated, exasperated. "I just wanted to come down here and get a drink, but I can't even do that without someone intervening." Revan swiveled her chair away from Bastila's glare, but was startled when she found herself nose to nose with a familiar blue figure.

"Heya Bastila," Mission said as she stood behind the two, "Jolee is looking for you, says the Council needs to speak with you."

Bastila looked at Mission skeptically, "Now?"

"Yeah, he was near the gardens when I spoke with him."

"Alright," Bastila rose from the stool. "Thank you, Mission."

They sat in silence as they watched Bastila set off to find Jolee. After she disappeared out of the cantina entrance, Mission burst into a fit of laughter and Revan nodded her thanks.

From his seat in the corner of the cantina, Canderous watched Revan fiddle with the glass, gazing intently into the frothy ale. He knew she sought an antidote to end her plague of doubt and indecision, but the tumbler setting in front of her did not contain it. She sought answers nothing could give. There was no right or wrong, no clear-cut example; it was simply a matter of choice. A decision Revan would have to make alone.

But Canderous didn't doubt her ability for a moment, he deeply respected the woman. Hell, it went beyond respect. Canderous esteemed her ability to talk the credits off a hutt, to reach amidst in even the heaviest fighting to call on the Force to help them in some way, but most of all he respected the way she treated her troops. It was no guess how Revan rallied her supporters during the Mandalorian Wars. She had the charm of a gizka, the negotiating ability of a senator, and the tactical mind of a career soldier. Canderous didn't just respect Revan, he revered her in every sense of the word.

Revan had stood beside him when Jagi insulted him with that insolent challenge, and when he finally realized the reign of the Mandalorians would never exist again, she had reminded him that no race truly ever dies and to look back on all that once had been. Memories, stories, and traditions are passed on from generation to generation and become the legends that last forever. Canderous would just have to pass his on as well. He almost smiled at the reminiscence.

"How did she ever buy that?" he heard Mission ask. Throwing her voice to mimic Bastila's, she continued. "She used to always be about _sensing deception_."

"She's got her head shoved too far up the Council's ass to sense much of anything." Canderous said as he left his corner of the cantina to join them. "Your Republic boy is right. That damn Council is manipulating the both of you."

Revan didn't say anything, but simply stared at her drink.

"Your ship is ready," Canderous continued, "When do you want to leave?"

"Now," Revan stated decidedly as she snatched her drink off the bar, downing it in one determined gulp.

Mission turned to look at her, but wasn't too surprised. She knew this day would come eventually, but she had also expected Carth to be accompanying her. "Where are you going?"

"Telos," Revan replied, slamming the glass down with a thunderous clank.


	4. Rendezvous

**CHAPTER FOUR: RENDEZVOUS**

Dustil Onasi leaped out of the speeder, stirring up a cloud of dust as his heavy boots clunked to the ground. The light wind ruffled his hair, bringing with it the smells of Telos, familiar scents of home. Crouching down, he scooped up a clump of thick Telosian earth, the bulky texture feeling heavy in his palm. He turned his gaze upon the foundation and wreckage where his childhood home had once stood, but now lay leveled, nothing more than a razed pile of debris. As his dark eyes scanned the mass of devastation, he felt his heart tug with resent.

The only thing left standing was his Mother's garden. Even though it was overgrown with weeds, the herbs and flowers flourished, edging over the tangled brush to catch the midday sunlight.

After his father signed back with the fleet, Morgana plunged into gardening. Throwing herself into the care of her plants kept her mind from driving her mad with worry. There was something about sowing the seeds, watching them grow into plants, nurturing them throughout the season with her careful touch that had always brought her an assurance of faith. _As long as the garden makes it, Dustil, your father will, _she had said often.

Dustil rose, looking down at the clump of soil still clenched in his fist. So many memories had been made, his whole childhood resting here where it had been left behind the day the Sith attacked. But, his mother's flowers were thriving, maybe a little tattered, but thriving. Dustil felt bitter. His father had promised to protect his family, to fight for them with his life, but it had been his mother who paid the price.

He took one last look, envisioning the site as it had been before the war, when nothing had been tainted. Not the land, not the garden, and especially not himself. He stared grudgingly at the dirt clenched in his fist. He would never become like his father, forsaking his family to seek the respect and honor of his fellow soldiers, to find his own share of glory. _If only he had stayed,_ Dustil thought with so much resentment he could feel his blood boiling within, _he would've had respect and honor from his son. _Dustil stared at his mother's flowers as he let the mass of soil swiftly sift between his fingers, watching as it fell morsel by morsel back to the rich, hard ground.

"_I owe it to the Republic," he told her. _

"_To the Republic," Morgana spat bitterly as she moved towards the window to watch Dustil. "You paid the Republic, Carth. You served more than your share of years. Why do you have to go back?"_

_Carth gazed out the window watching as his eight-year old son hopped onto the rusty frame of an irreparable fighter. Morgana's father had brought it to Dustil for his birthday two days ago. Dustil would sit in the pilot's seat for hours, pretending to soar through the endless skies, fighting the enemy and defending the Republic. Just like his father._

"_He wants to be like you, you know, pilot his own ship. He stares every night at the docking bay, wondering if your own your way home." She paused turning to face him. "But I always wonder if you're on the Crusier shipping people into the Base's hospital. I watch the holovid, wondering if you're one of the casualties announced or if I'll go in to work the next day at the base hospital and see you in the Fatal Wing."_

"_Morgana I-"_

_She cut him off, denying him the chance to speak. "Carth, I'm worried. The war isn't going to be quick. The Mandalorians are ruthless, and it will only get worse before it gets better."_

"_Saul seems to think that we can end it quick. He's pretty confident that Mandalore won't be able to hold out against our forces long and with help from Malak and Revan..."_

"_No. Mandalore isn't attacking core worlds. He's hitting the little guys in the outer rim, capturing planets he knows he can take. They're glory seekers Carth, they only look for a fight that will bring them honor. Fighting and losing to the Republic doesn't fall under that category. This will not be quick, Jedi involved or not. And as for Saul," She paused, the sharp edge in her voice turning to firm distaste, "There's something I don't like about him. At the ceremony last night, I was talking with Jordo's wife, Ailynn. She doesn't like him either, commanding officer or not..." _

A high pitched ringing filled Carth's ears, bringing him back to reality instead of lost in a distant memory. Revan hadn't returned to her room that night and Carth became restless. Around 0200 standard, Carth lay awake listening to the soundless streets of Alderaan. There were few people who ventured out so late at night, most were bar hoppers, or off-worlders looking to make a shady deal without the Alderaanian officials involved. Suddenly a roar had resonated through the room and he could make out the distinct sound of the Ebon Hawk's engines, whining as they propelled its passengers out of the Alderaanian atmosphere.

As he left the hotel room, he ran into Mission trying to sneak back into her quarters. She hadn't been able to keep Revan's destination a secret long. Although she could charm credits off a hutt, there was just something about Carth that Mission couldn't lie to. Her head tails would begin to twitch erratically, giving her away.

Now, stars hurtled past the portholes on the bridge of the _Strider_, meshing into the bright lines of hyperspace. Easing back in his chair, Carth thought back on the day's events. Revan had listened to the Council's proposition and considered it. Carth couldn't understand. Why would the Council even ask her to take Dustil as her padawan? There something about it that didn't make sense. The Sith were almost annihilated. There were a few pockets of resistance left. But now, with the end of the Sith being so close, why would the Jedi take the savoir of the galaxy and stick her in an enclave all day showing Dustil how to levitate chairs? Why didn't they let her finish what she had begun?

Sighing, Carth hit the _Strider_'s comm system and began decoding the message he had received early from Admiral Dodonna. The holographic image of the Admiral appeared, with an almost dismal expression on her face.

"Carth, I know we talked about this once already, but you were pretty elusive. I hope you've had enough time to think about it, and I'm going to offer it one last time. If you change your mind and decide to stay with the Republic, you'll have your promotion. I know it is far too long overdue, but we're talking Admiral Onasi. You'll have your own fleet of ships ready at your command.

"But if you don't, know that you've been a great asset to the Republic. I can honestly say that without you, the Republic would have hardly stood a chance. I wish you and Master Jedi Revan the best, Carth."

The admiral's image disappeared, leaving Carth in more distress. Indecision. He was beginning to hate the word. He had wanted to talk to Revan about a future. He was tired of being a dedicated soldier and a war hero. Everyday he thought back to Morgana, and what they had together. A home, a life, a son...an ever after. Carth wanted that again.

The _Strider_ beeped and chirped as he arrived into Telosian airspace. He maneuvered the control's sending the ship plunging into the thick atmosphere, and Carth's thoughts were forced to concentrate on the safe landing of the _Strider_.

* * *

Revan walked down the main street of Telos, wondering if the planet was always this humid. The sultry night air was so thick, drawing a breath almost became a chore. Masked with fog, the familiar street became foreign, but Revan plowed on, her mind reeling. Carth didn't want her to train Dustil, which was understandable, but she had an inkling there was more to it. But Revan was too tired to even ponder on the subject. Tired of secrets, tired of things never being what they seem, and tired of all the conflicts keeping Carth from her. Was it so much for them to just simply be together? 

_I suppose it is, but for being savior of the galaxy you should get a lot more perks,_ she thought wryly.

Canderous stopped suddenly behind her, the constant clank of his armor ceasing, leaving the dank evening in abrupt, eerie silence.

"Canderous, what is it?" she breathed. Revan was watching for any sign of danger, her Jedi senses suddenly vigilant.

"Hold it." He maneuvered his gun into a better fighting position, staring at a dark balcony three stories up. Never taking his eyes off the terrace, he instinctively moved in front of Revan, who had silently drawn her lightsaber, though still unlit.

"Don't," he took a step back, slowly easing the barrel towards the balcony, his eyes searching for any sign of sudden movement. His finger touched the cool metal of the trigger, half way pulling it back. Only millimeters more and a shot would resonate through the quiet street. After a long moment he slowly turned his head back toward Revan, "We need to move out. Quickly."

Revan gave a curt nod, but continued staring back up at the balcony. She sensed a familiar presence, though she couldn't place it. Curiosity intrigued her. The being hiding itself among the shadows was full of anger, but it did not wish to cause them harm. Revan slunk back against the damp wall of one of the many buildings lining the street, gliding soundlessly around the corner into an even darker alleyway.

With Canderous in her wake, she sauntered into a Cantina on the other side of the city. Mist was now drifting lightly toward the ground, the air finally too saturated to hold it. As soon as she stepped over the threshold she felt his presence; it held many of the same scars as his father's. He was sitting slumped at the bar, staring intently into the bottom of an empty glass as his fist clenched and unclenched the color draining out of his knuckles then back in. His shoulders were tense, hair disheveled, and his boots caked in dried mud.

Revan sat back into a corner table, keeping him just in her sight, as Canderous followed her lead. The Cantina, apparently an all-nighter, had only two other customers, one of which was passed out in their booth. She watched Dustil for a long while, trying to make a judgment on his learning ability and character. It said a lot that he left the Sith Academy, but he carried around a huge weight on his shoulders, tossing it around like everyone owed him something. She also sensed resentment in him, anger with his father, dislike of her, and puzzlement with the Council. He would be difficult, indeed.

"What do you think, Ordo?"

Canderous took a long look at him as well, thinking about his answer carefully. "I believe taking him as your padawan would be a complete waste of time."

Revan still looked at Dustil placidly, "Why is that?"

"He looks like he thinks the galaxy owes him something. He's carrying a huge chip on his shoulder. Typical teenage angst, and if he's anything like your dear Republic boy..."

Revan stood, finally looking back at Canderous. "That's what I'm counting on."

She eased her way toward the bar, taking the seat next to him. "Corellian spiced," she told the bartender. He grunted in acknowledgement, swiftly grabbing a bottle and banging down her glass. As he filled the tumbler, she glanced idly up at various holovids, acting as if Dustil wasn't even there. But she soon fell out of her reverie, feeling his eyes bore into the side of her head.

"You..." he said accusingly with a slur as he unsteadily stood up off of the stool, "You ruined my family. Killed my mother. Caused the pain and suffering of millions of people." He pulled his lightsaber from his belt, the red glow dancing across his features. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strike you dead right now."

Revan turned to face him, a small smile creeping across her face, "I don't think your dad would appreciate that too much. Besides. We need to talk first." She force pushed him gently back onto his stool, then drew his lightsaber from his hand to hers, extinguishing and laying it on the opposite side of her.

"First, the old Revan did do all those things, and if you never forgive me for it then it's something I'm going to have to live with, but the new Revan's going around, trying to fix all those things. Second," She waved her hand over the empty shots of Tarisian ale. "You gotta give this stuff a rest. Not only is it now one of the most expensive drinks on the market, it makes you violent. If you just want to lose yourself, try this," she held up her own glass of Corellian spiced ale. "And finally, if you want to be a part of the Jedi Order, you've got to control your anger."

"You know about me wanting to join the Order? Well, I suppose my father mentioned something to you." He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "Why else would you be here."

"You're right. I heard, but not from Carth."

Dustil stared at her with bewilderment spread across his face, "What exactly do you want?"

"Well, the Council on Alderaan has encouraged me to think about taking you as my padawan and I'm trying to decide if that's a good idea."

"What?" he shook his head as if the clear it from the ails of the drink.

"Don't worry about it, Dustil," she ordered, rising to her feet and downing the glass of ale. "Go sleep that off. I'll see you in the morning. Or by the looks of you, in the afternoon."


	5. Anamnesis

**CHAPTER FIVE: ANAMNESIS**

_Revan stumbled through the deep shadows of an unfamiliar darkness, fumbling for something recognizable. She could hear only the light clink of her soft footsteps as they hit the metallic floor in perfect rhythm. There was a chilling cold lying just under her skin, a slow, creeping cold, seeping deep into her bones. Something was wrong, very wrong. Instinctively she felt to her side for her lightsaber as a source of light and comfort, but instead felt the slight twinges of panic begin to tug at her mind. It wasn't there. She would have to rely on her Jedi senses alone to get out of this shadowed prison. _

_There was a thick uneasiness in the air. As if something ominous was waiting for her, lurking closer with her every unsteady step. She was searching for something, or was it someone?_

_Her eyes finally seemed to adjust, and the dimness now became a vast sea of murk, meshing darkness and light. She could hear voices, two of them. One was deep, cold and full of spite. It spoke in harsh tones towards its listener, tones she didn't recognize. But the second was all too familiar. Revan found the twinges of panic becoming stronger as she struggled to keep her equanimity._

_"Well. Here we are. It's what you wanted isn't it?" spoke the latter voice._

_"I'm really disappointed in you, Onasi. We served together for how many years? Fourteen? Since recruitment, Carth. Hell, we served together even through the Mandalorian Wars. But for what? You to take off on our next assignment?"_

_Dyok waited for Carth to reply, continuing when he didn't. "You should have listened to Karath. He had amazing plans for you. Second in command of the entire Sith fleet, and you passed it all up, for your dear wife no less. But if you had joined us, you would have known about the attack. Morgana would have been able to escape. So, in a round about way, Carth, you killed her yourself."_

_Carth tightened his jaw, feeling the anger rise up in him. With all of his strength, Carth leaped toward the other man, but was quickly pulled back by the binders chaining him against a chair. "No," Carth countered through clenched teeth. "It was Saul who killed Morgana. Saul who led my son to being captured."_

_"Don't fool yourself. Revan told Malak to test the new Admiral's loyalties. And how about you now? The galaxy is in a tumult about you two being together," Dyok taunted, smiling darkly as he saw the rage leap into Carth's eyes. "So tell me, how is it sleeping with your wife's murderer? The woman who destroyed everything you fought for. Everything you believed in." _

_Revan could suddenly hear heavy footsteps begin to walk across the floor, seemingly circling Carth, followed by the distinct scraping noise as he drew some sort of weapon._

_"You bastard," Carth spat, eying the green marbled casing of the dagger. The letter ' O' was engraved into the handle, and Carth remembered the exact moment he had presented it to Dustil on his twelfth birthday, as it had been passed down to him, withstanding for five generations._

_"It's not like he needs it now, Carth."_

"_How did you get that?" _

_"I'm tired of answering your questions, Onasi." Dyok retorted, turning away from the soldier. He held the dagger closer to his face, examining the intricate handle and tracing his finger across the engraved letters._

"_You always did give up easily didn't you, Dyok" Carth chided with satisfaction as he saw Vren tense at the remark._

_Revan suddenly rounded the corner catching sight of Carth. He was bound, both hands and feet to a durasteel chair, which was bolted to the permacrete floor. She turned back to Dyok, watching as a look of pure hate overtook him. Rearing back his arm, Dyok stood over Carth, ready to send the dagger plunging deep into his skin at any moment. Revan attempted to use the Force to pull the weapon from Dyok's grasp, but found she had no control over it. _

_"Go ahead, Vren. You've wanted to kill me ever since the Yavin IV mission. _

_"You're right," Dyok stated simply. "I don't understand how the entire galaxy can revere you. If only they knew the real story, that their beloved hero is a deserter."_

"_That's a lie, Dyok, and you know it. We had a protocol to follow," Carth replied bitterly. _

"_Protocol?" Dyok spun around quickly, his icy blue-gray eyes boring into Carth's as he lowered his head until their faces were mere inches apart. Dyok spoke quietly, his voice trembling with fury. "If your protocol is betraying a fellow soldier while behind enemy lines, then sure, Carth. You followed your precious protocol. You were once like a brother to me, but now you are nothing." _

_In one swift motion Dyok thrust the dagger into Carth's abdomen, a trail of crimson following the dagger as it was slowly extracted from his skin._

Bastila awoke with a start, sweat dripping down her back and face as she began to shiver with cold feelings of foreboding. She probed the inner depths of her mind, trying to ignite the bond between Revan and herself unsuccessfully. She must have seen one of Revan's dreams, but Bastila hadn't exactly felt Revan's presence in the dream as she had when they shared dreams in search of the Star Forge. It bothered Bastila that she saw the whole thing from Revan's perspective. And how Revan had lost her affinity with the Force, it all made Bastila extremely uneasy. The Council of course had anticipated that Revan might travel to Telos, but she doubt they predicted something like this. She would have to inform the Council of this immediately.

She quickly changed into her robes and hustled through the doors, colliding with Jolee. The old man looked as ghastly as Bastila felt.

"Did you feel the disturbance?" she asked him as they quickly headed toward the enclave.

"Yes, but what was it?"

"I saw a vision through Revan's eyes of Carth and a man named Dyok," Bastila stated, explaining to him the dream and her concern over Revan's ghost-like presence.

"I think it may have been a vision from the future. A premonition," he replied slowly, as if sorting something out in his head.

"Such things are possible. But was it really more than a bad dream?"

Jolee huffed.

"If Revan was merely having bad dreams, I doubt the three of us each would have sensed it," Juhani said emerging from the dark corner where she had heard their conversation.

"We will only know for sure once we have consulted the Council," she declared as they set off across the gardens.

"This is most intriguing," Master Vrook stated after the Jedi had relayed the events of the dream to the Council.

"Intriguing?" Jolee repeated, astonished. "We inform you that we think Commander Onasi may be in peril, and you tell us this is intriguing. Hmph. And you wonder why Revan never consults you before taking action."

"Master Vandar, was this a vision?" Juhani questioned.

Master Vandar closed his eyes and an appearance of the deepest concentration fell across his face. "It is hard to see."

"Such premonitions are not uncommon, but Bastila, you may be correct in assuming that this was no more than a bad dream. You two have shared dreams before," Master Vrook stated.

"But if you will remember, Master Vrook, those dreams of Malak and Revan had actually occurred, making them visions," Master Zhar clarified.

"This is very troubling," admitted Master Vandar. "Revan has no contact with the Force."

"It was almost as if she was a ghost," Bastila said quietly.

"So what is it then," asked Juhani, "a bad dream, or a premonition?"

Vandar nodded slightly, "Only time will tell us which is true."

Revan awoke with the sick feeling of foreboding wrenching in the pit of her stomach. Once again echoes of sorrow ricocheted inside her mind, products of another blind nightmare. She sat up slowly, closing her eyes, searching deep within the crevices of her mind for any images of the dream. Morning after morning she repeated the same process. Waking with a bleak awareness of the dark Revan, as if a memory of hers lay there just on the edge of conscious thought. But as always, she would fall short of attaining that memory and once again feel as if she carried an abyss inside of her.

But on this particular morning, something was distinctly different. As she sat cross-legged on the cold metallic floor beside her cot and searched the crevices of her mind, the distress she felt was not that of her old self. It was something entirely different. Again, she felt as if an image loomed just outside of her reach. If only she could just let herself go a little further…

Revan's eyes shot open and she clenched her teeth to sway the sudden wave of nausea. She physically felt as if she were going to be sick. Uncrossing her legs, Revan slowly slid her knees up to her chest, cradling them. As she rested her head on her knees, she sighed, letting her mind drift aimlessly.

She had almost captured an image, she was sure of it. For a moment, Revan was glad she couldn't. If she merely touched a memory and it had this sort of an effect on her, she could only guess as to what actually accessing one would do.

Suddenly, something clicked in her brain and she remembered. _Dyok_. She registered the word, but it held no meaning for her. Deciding she had brooded over it enough for the moment, she resolved to run the word through the archives when she had the time.

Standing she stretched, testing herself against the waves of nausea still coursing through her stomach. Giving it a soft rub, she left her starboard cabin and headed for the refresher unit. As she passed the communications center, she noticed it flickering with an incoming message. _And that would be Carth. _She sighed, ignoring the feed._ I'm not ready for that conversation yet._

Canderous emerged from his own cabin on the port side of the _Hawk_ just as Revan disappeared into the 'fresher. He too noticed the comm flashing and moved to view the message, watching as the holographic image of a disgruntled Carth appeared in front of him.

"I meant it when I said I didn't want you to train him, but you took off anyway. I'm still out of the loop, but I trust your reasons. And you. Just remember, this isn't between you and the Council concerning the rest of the galaxy. This is my son," he sighed heavily. "Dammit Revan, you're one stubborn woman..."

Canderous shut off the message with an expression of annoyance. _Yeah well,_ he thought wryly,_ if you're so displeased then do something about it._

Canderous had picked up on Carth's admiration with Revan the moment he met them in the Upper City Cantina on Taris, but the way Carth had gone about dealing with his feelings for her had rubbed Canderous the wrong way. Especially when they discovered who she truly was. Carth had been ready to forsake everything they had been through on some mad rush for vengeance. Why Revan felt the way she did about Carth was beyond him, but he supposed it had something to do with the way the pilot had gotten over himself in the end. Canderous didn't want to think about it. The only thing he knew was his vow. Wherever Revan went, he would follow.

Just as he was about to head for the food synthesizer, the comm center lit up with another incoming message. Canderous pressed a button and looked on curiously as Bastila's image appeared in front of him.

"Revan, here you are again. Acting as brash as ever. You could have at least consulted the Council...Vrook," Bastila's holograph image was cutting out, leaving gaping holes in her message, "Jolee seems to think…vision. With…and… is unknown." The message completely disappeared for a moment, then came back a little clearer. "This needs to be taken seriously, Revan. We all felt it."

Bastila's image faded away. Canderous had little idea as to the meaning of her message, but Bastila sounded somewhat urgent. He smirked. Now that he thought about it, Bastila always sounded urgent. Canderous left the message up so Revan could review it later. Maybe she could make more sense of it.

As he proceeded to the synthesizer, the refresher door opened, sending a wave of steam coursing throughout the ship's common area and revealing a freshly dressed Revan. She flashed a small smile at Canderous, following him toward the synthesizer.

"Canderous, what was it that you saw last night on the balcony while we were looking for Dustil?"

He turned away from the synthesizer and looked at her gravely "I'm not sure now what it was exactly, but when I looked I saw the glint of a weapon as the moonlight reflected off of it. At our abrupt stop, whoever the coward was panicked and ducked down, drawing even more attention to themselves."

"I didn't sense them at first, the danger," she stared at the floor, slightly shaking her head "I never did, not until you pointed them out. But they were angry and full of rage. I should have felt them."

Canderous stared at her thoughtfully, handing her a plate of food. "What if they hadn't meant to endanger us?"

"I don't know. What if I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to stay in tune with my surroundings," she sighed. "This is one reason the Council preaches against entanglement with attachments."

Revan stared down at the gunk on her plate. No one had tuned up the synthesizer since Jolee complained last, and that had been over a month ago. The synthesizer had to be tweaked at least once a week to even produce distinguishable substances. Revan discarded her food—if you could call it that—and headed to the hanger to add some upgrades to her swoop before heading back out into Telos. She craved the tranquil feeling of freedom the race offered. When you're there, in the seat of a machine capable of that kind of speed with adrenaline coursing through your veins, your mind doesn't have time to think, to process anything. You survive on reactions alone. For Revan, it cleared her mind of everything, the concerns of the present, worries of the future, and the emptiness of the past.

An hour later they began to trek across what little had been rebuilt of Telos. Now that it was in the daylight, the obvious struggle the people had with rebuilding their lives became known. For the most part, the main street of Telos had been cleared of debris and Revan guessed roughly seventy percent of the buildings were habitable. But the further away one got from the main street, the more destruction was apparent. Entire sections of the city had remained nearly untouched since the assault. If a building hadn't been completely razed, chunks of it were missing and scattered across the roads and walkways.

Passing through the crowded streets, Revan spotted Dustil fairly easily, entering a hanger in docking bay 347, near the old military base. He walked the same way as his father, carrying himself with that certain pride. Peering inside the hanger bay doors, she saw an old freighter that looked as if it had been decommissioned for years. Grime was built up around the windshield and layers of carbon scoring were streaked down the sides. This ship had seen some action, and that's the way she liked them. As far as she was concerned, it added character.

Standing there watching Dustil, Revan suddenly found herself caught up in a memory. She was…home. And couldn't have been older than five.

"_Want to help me finish the _Endeavor_?" __A tall man with dark hair and kind blue eyes asked as he extended a grease covered hand towards her, smiling. "Just a bit more work and we'll have her up and running."_

_Nodding her head, she took her father's outstretched hand, smiling up at him._

"_Okay, Commander," he began as they made their way into the ship. "I'm trying to replace the power couplings to repair the hyperdrive. What tool should I start with?"_

"_The hydrospanner," she replied, grabbing it out of the toolbox and handing it to him._

"_That's right, Alora! And thank you," he said smiling as he accepted the tool from her. "I may make a spacer out of you yet…"_

Revan turned her attention back toward the present. _Of course,_ she thought a little crestfallen. The memory wasn't hers at all. It belonged to Alora Lantra, the scout who used to make her living skirting the unknown regions of the galaxy attempting to discover new hyperspace routes.He had certainly made a spacer out of her and a fine mechanic too.

Revan sighed. As much as she wanted to be Alora Lantra, she knew she couldn't. While she wasn't exactly Revan, it was the closest thing she had to an identity. Alora was someone completely fictional and for all purposes could have been ripped straight from an old holovid. But maybe it was better this way. Accepting the past would be a big part of her recovery from it.

Focusing back on Dustil, Revan watched as he tried to start up the freighter's engines. At first they whirred as if coming to life, then sputtered, groaning to a stop. Cursing, Dustil exited the loading ramp with a datapad stuck in front of his face. Whatever he was looking at, he was studying so intently that he didn't see the pair standing merely a few feet in front him.

"Heya Dustil," Revan greeted, smiling warmly.

Dustil looked up, staring at the Jedi and the Mandalorian with an expression of shock on his face that quickly turned into agitation. He turned away from them and focused his attenion back onto the datapad. "I'm not training under you."

"The decision to assign you a teacher is really left up to the Council, Dustil. And besides, I've got to actually decide that I'm going to train you before you can say no."

Dustil scoffed, turning to face her. "Why do they even allow you on the streets after what you've done?"

She pursed her lips into a thin smile, "For the very same reason you're standing before me now. Like you, I have been redeemed."

"Redemption," he spat. "It's overrated." He paused glaring at her. "_Unlike_ you. I never killed thousands of people in a single moment, I never wiped out entire planets."

"Is it so overrated?" Revan's smile wavered slightly, "You're right. I did do all of those things once. And I'm sure there are others, things I can't remember. I've read your file, Dustil, in the Jedi Archives," her smile grew slightly at his expression. "Yes. You already have a file."

Dustil's face was red with anger. "What don't you get? You ordered an attack on my homeworld. You destroyed Telos. You killed my mother! Why would I ever…" he trailed off, too angry to finish.

Revan's smile finally faltered, her lips falling into a tight, thin line. "It is true," she admitted sorrowfully. "But you must remember that I have been redeemed. And you have too. You may not have destroyed planets or killed thousands of people, but you were also a part of Malak's command. You were joined with the Sith, Dustil. By joining, you showed them you supported their actions, and that included the destruction of Telos."

Dustil stared at her wordlessly, his mind racing. After he didn't speak for several moments, Revan walked fowards, stopping just close enough to read the datapad over his shoulder. He was looking over readouts fom the navicomputer, trying to find the freighter's malfunction.

Stepping backwards, Dustil looked at her utterly confused. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to help you fix your ship," she replied closing the distance between them again. "Look, there." She pointed over his arm at one of the readings. "Have you tried the reverse power coupling?"

"Just did," Dustil answered. "That wasn't the problem. She still won't run."

"Hmm." Revan thought for a moment. "What about the alluvial dampers? If one of those isn't shutting down tight enough, it can lead to a broken motivator, which in turn can-"

"Bust up the hyperdrive," Dustil finished for her.

Somewhat begrudgingly, he slipped the datapad back into his pocket and opened an external hatch at the back of the freighter. Leaning furthur in, he examined the dampers and let out a string of inaudible curses. Sure enough, the damn woman was right.

* * *

Carth stepped off the loading ramp of the _Strider_, eying the few people scattered among the docking bay. A couple of mechanics and docking bay attendants were all that lingered in the room and for that he was thankful. He made his way to one of the short Rodian attendants, who recognized him immediately. 

"Ah. Commander Onasi. Right on schedule. Your fee has already been taken care of. If you need anything on your visit, we will be happy to assist you."

_On schedule?_

"Right. Thanks." Carth forced a small smile to hide his bemusement. Had Revan gotten his message already and made these arrangements? He found that hard to believe. Pushing aside his slight paranoia he set off into the streets of Telos in search of Dustil, knowing that Revan would be found right with him.

As he ambled through the small walkways, he still couldn't believe this was all of his homeworld that had been reconstructed in four years. _Jordo was right. They've never recovered._ The road was crowded, and he could easily slip through the bustling people relatively unnoticed. He continued down the street until he came to the military base.

There wasn't much left now behind the thick durasteel gates but piles of rubble that had been pilfered through. Immediately after the attack, only a fourth of the base had remained standing. Carth supposed the rest had been razed do to irreparable structural damage.

As he inspected the sight closer, he noticed a small portion of the stone gate entrance had been engraved. He walked over, examining the engravings of hundreds of names of military personnel lost in the attack four years ago. He scanned the list, catching the names of many people he knew. After a while his eyes stopped abruptly, focusing on one name, the sight of it bringing that dreadful day rushing back into his mind full force.

_Carth awoke with a start, not sure what drug him from such a deep slumber. He gently untangled his arms from Morgana, taking extra precaution not to wake her. She got so little sleep these days. But she stirred and rose as well, a curious expression on her face. Carth glanced around for a moment, looking for anything out of the ordinary. _

"_Did you hear that?" she questioned leaning across the bed towards him as another rumble resonated in the distance. "Sounded like some sort of explosion."_

_They stared at each other for a moment in complete silence, both straining their ears for another burst of sound. A third thundering was heard, and the harsh dawning of realization fell over Carth, sending an expression of shock and anger across his face. He fumbled for his clothes, stumbling over the boots he so hastily discarded of the night before._

_Her eyes widened in horror, "It's not..." She cut off abruptly as Carth nodded his head vigorously. She quickly dressed as well, her long blonde hair swinging over her shoulder as she leaned down to strap on her shoes._

_"Yes," Carth answered in quiet disbelief. "Saul."_

_A wave of panic washed through Morgana. "Dustil! Oh Carth, he stayed with the rest of his class at the academy lock-in. He's not here."_

_Carth tried to be reasonable as he pulled his shirt over his shoulders, "The academy is right by the military base. I'm sure they'll evacuate into one of the bunkers. They've had drills before. He'll be alright until we can get there." _

_Morgana wasn't swayed. She scurried out of the house and hopped into a speeder, Carth barely jumping in beside her before she sped off for the base._

_Before they even reached the front gates of the base, a full fledged attack had begun. As they passed the entrance, an ammunitions building received a direct hit, causing an explosion to rumble across the base. Shards of glass and other debris came tumbling down upon them. On impact, the speeder was smashed into the ground, skidding across it, and slamming into the base of one of the steel watchtowers. Carth was thrown from the speeder and sent tumbling over the rough, paved surface. The last thing he remembered was sliding to a halt, feeling his skin searing with pain from the friction of his flesh scraping across the coarse ground._

_He awoke some time later after the bombing had ceased. He pulled himself up from the ground, looking for Morgana, but instead only saw other military personnel and a few medics checking for survivors. Eying his crashed speeder, which was now disintegrated in flames, he could only hope that she had been thrown out as well. Tracing back their path from the entrance, he scampered through the wreckage calling for her, losing sight of the medics in his search._

_After what seemed like the longest ten minutes of his life, Carth saw something moving out of the corner of his eye. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. Sprinting towards her, he found Morgana buried under a small mound of debris and twisted in an unnatural position. _

_Carth dropped to his knees beside her, frantically pulling off pieces of rubble. As he lifted a large sheet of metallic roofing off of her, it revealed a huge gash in her abdomen that had soaked her white uniform a deep shade of crimson. Tears filled Carth's eyes as he eased her to him._

_"'Ana," he whispered, pushing loose strands of her blond hair out of her eyes as his tears fell upon her face, leaving streaks through the grime and dried blood. "Medic!" he screamed, looking around hysterically._

_She looked at him then, her green eyes staring into his. She weakly reached a hand up, lightly grazing it across his face, smearing a small streak of blood on his cheek before letting it fall limply back onto the ground. Carth picked it up, holding it in his own, wincing when he felt her bones lurch beneath his fingers. Her hand was crushed._

_"Medic!" he yelled out again, seeing no one in sight. He looked back at her. "Just hold on," he whispered, laying his forehead against hers. "Just hold on."_

_"D...Dustil. He ma..."she gurgled, struggling with her speech. "Dustil made..."_

_Carth couldn't understand her words, his tears now continuously dripping off his cheeks and onto hers. "You're going to be alright. Just hold on," He looked around again, seeing two medics just within sight. "MEDIC!"_

_"No," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Find Dustil," she ordered breathlessly. "He...made...it..." she trailed off. But Carth couldn't make out her last words; the Medic's were running towards them, yelling indistinct orders at him. Carth looked back at his wife, suddenly feeling her weight change. She seemed suddenly heavier. _

_"Morgana," he whispered, once again pressing his forehead against hers. "Hang on, please hang on," He was struggling to hold back his tears. "You've always been a fighter 'Ana, don't give up now." Tones of desperation and grief entered his voice. "Please don't give up," he whispered to her vigorously, but somewhere inside of him he knew it was too late._

_The medics arrived, eying the gash on her abdomen as they dropped down beside her to check for a pulse. Reaching for her lacerated wrist, the medic's face hardened as he felt the broken bones shift beneath her skin. After only a moment the medic turned his gaze to Carth, slowly shaking his head. Morgana was dead._

"_No," Carth said, refusing to believe. Laying his head on her chest, Carth listened for the beat of her heart. As he held her nose with one hand and lightly lowered her jaw with the other, Carth brought his lips to hers, tasting blood as they met. Counting, he attempted to revive her, pumping her chest in rhythmic motions._

"_Soldier," one of the medics called gruffly, grabbing Carth's arm._

_Carth pulled away and again pressed the side of his face against Morgana's chest. The deafening silence filled his ears as he again tried to breathe air back into her motionless body._

"_Soldier! It's no use," the medic called again. "SOLDIER!" Manhandling Carth, the Medic jerked him away from Morgana._

"_You can't help her," the other medic began as he grabbed Carth's arms, turning them palm side up. Carth's face tightened in pain, suddenly becoming aware of his injuries. "Look at these gashes and scrapes. They're deep. You need to get these bandaged at the temporary med station set up on the other side of the Academy. Then, if you get an all clear, you need to report to your superior. I do not need to remind you that your duty lies first and foremost to the Republic."_

_Trembling, Carth watched as the Medics walked away, turning back to Morgana once they had retreated from sight. Feeling as if he was dying with her, Carth cradled Morgana in his arms and cried. _


	6. Intervention

**CHAPTER SIX: INTERVENTION**

Carth stepped back from the engraved gates and swiftly turned away from the wreckage, ignoring the few scattered tears that had spilled over his eyes and blurred his vision. Even after all this time the memory laid as fresh in his mind as if it had been yesterday. He would never forget the sound of her last words, for they had haunted him in his dreams every night...until he met Revan. She had changed his world in one brief moment and slowly the dreams began to fade.

If ever a human being had the power to twist fate, it was Revan. Carth was still mesmerized by her sweeping presence and the control she seemed to have over the stars. He had watched her overpower the Council, bring Malak to justice, and save all of her comrades from their own demons.

On the _Endar Spire_, amazingly and thankfully enough she had found her way through the ship's winding passageways and to the escape pods. But the moment the doors had whooshed open revealing a petite dark-haired woman, he had been dazzled. It wasn't her beauty, which she had in abundance, nor was it her obvious skill in combat, but rather something else. Something had drawn him to her, as if there was this force upon them. He hated to use the word for fear of sounding too much like Jolee, but destiny was the only way to describe it. Fate had been at hand.

This in particular had scared the hell out of him. He already had an issue with trusting people, but to have this huge feeling of purpose surrounding him when he looked at her pushed him over the edge. From that point on, he knew he would be wary of anything that had to do with her. As Jolee had plainly put it, when Carth looked at Revan, his eyes played tricks on him. There were moments when had had seen the sheer lightside of her. The honest, loyal do-gooder that the Jedi were revered for being. But other times he had seen a deep stigma within her, watching her act on her baser emotions, disregarding everything the Council and Bastila had repeated to her so often.

But now, Carth smiled as he thought of Revan. When he looked at her he saw a vibrant array of life and a successful second chance. But even at present he still felt a nagging in his mind. He was in love with his wife's murderer. Carth was sure that thought would never stray, but he would keep it buried under his love for Revan, and that was quite a lot of weight for one doubt to withstand.

Carth began to walk in the opposite direction of the base, wondering where to even begin looking for Dustil. His mind running through all of the places they could be, Carth finally remembered Dustil mentioning something about restoring an old freighter. Turning at his next right, Carth found himself in front of an old mechanical hanger bay. Once belonging to Dustil's best friend's Dad, Carth wondered if he still owned the place.

He began to walk through the doors but quickly he stopped himself. Carth instead opted to lean against the frame and watch the scene play out before him.

Dustil had turned almost rigid upon hearing Revan's abrasive words. _"You were also a part of Malak's command. You were joined with the Sith, Dustil. By joining, you showed them you supported their actions and that includes the destruction of Telos."_

The harsh truth in her words snapped in him. When Selene had proposed the idea about joining the Sith, Dustil thought it was great one. To be a part of something so unified where only the best of the best made it, he had felt that he actually achieved something on his own for once in his life. As a child, everything had been handed to him strictly because of the way the people revered his father. It was as if the people felt the way to honor a war hero was to place his son on a pedestal, giving him anything he needed in hope that one day he would turn out as great of a hero as his father had. He had gotten everything so easily, and for what...Dustil had never thought his dad a hero.

Heroes to him had been men like his best friend Kai's dad. He made it to every single one of Kai's academy functions, every speeder race, and had even taught him to play dejarik. Dustil couldn't even remember playing a game with his father, much less his father actually taking the time to teach him something as involved as dejarik.

Sighing, Dustil shook his head. Maybe his father deserved a break. Maybe he needed to let go of his childhood grudges. His father couldn't exactly help when he was shipped in or out, where he was stationed, or control the beginnings of war. But Dustil did still blame him for signing back on with the fleet. He had served his years; they had been dually paid to the Republic. But it was when Carth returned to the frontlines in the middle of the Mandalorian Wars that Dustil's rage for his father had peaked. His mother became distraught. Though she was strong, she had already endured over ten years of constant fret.

Anxiety does terrible things to a person. It chews them up inside, constantly gnawing on their innards, savoring every bit of hope from them until all that they can think about is the fear itself. After ten years, Morgana's struggling attempts to push her fear aside had become futile.

So she had thrown herself into growing herbs for the hospital and then decided to take up gardening just for the sake of doing something. Dustil knew that nurturing the flowers had been her therapy and without them she would have let the fear eat her alive.

Dustil stared at Revan, surveying her. He concluded that she was everything his mother wasn't. Revan had an aura about her. Something that almost made you see double, almost as if she had two faces, though one was much more vibrant. At close inspection, one could tell she had been redeemed, but her dark past tainted her. He could sense the abyss that sunk endlessly within her, knowing it was a hollowness she would never be able to fill.

"Thanks," Dustil said, nodding. "For helping with the ship."

"Of course."

"So…" he began after a somewhat tense silence passed between them.

"Yes?" Revan replied.

"So should I call you Master then?"

Revan was slightly taken aback, though her expression never wavered, "No."

"Well, if I am to be your padawan, what should I call you?"

"And when exactly was it clarified that you were going to be my padawan?" she turned to look at a smug Canderous. "Did I miss it?"

Dustil looked at her in a frustrated awe. "But the Council..." He stopped abruptly seeing her amused expression, feeling anger begin to rise into his cheeks. "Then what do you want?"

"I'm assessing you," she stated plainly.

"Assessing me? What exactly are you assessing? I thought the Council asked you to train me."

Revan smiled at him softly, she had all the patience in the world. But the question was, did Dustil? "They did, Dustil. But just because they ask me to do something doesn't mean I'm going to do it." Her smile grew a little as she thought of her defiance in the Council with Carth. "And your father, whether you believe it or not, plays a very big role in it."

"My father has no say over me anymore. He's been out of my life much to long to suddenly come charging in and barking out orders. Regardless of what he may think, I'm not one of his soldiers that he has command over."

"Yes, you're right. He doesn't, but as far as I'm concerned in this whole Master-Padawan ordeal, what he has to say plays a part."

Dustil's patience was waning, "I'm sure you've talked to him, then. What does he have to say?"

Revan didn't answer right away. She looked perplexed for a brief moment, then smiled again as her entire face lifted in a grin. "Mission."

Dustil looked at her, baffled.

"I don't know, Dustil. Why don't you ask him that yourself," Revan suggested to him, suddenly whirling around. "You father's here."

Dustil craned his head and looked past Revan, his gaze settling on the silhouette leaning against its frame. He shook his head. He should have known. "Well, we're really one big happy family now aren't we, Father?"

"Look, Dustil. Neither one of us has any idea where the Council planns on going with this," Carth explained as he came to stand beside Revan. "But I've done a lot of thinking and I don't agree with this," he turned to look at her. " I don't like it one bit, but I've learned enough to know now that I can't stop you. So whatever you're going to do, whether you decide to train him or not, know that I'm not going to stand in the way."

"Well, it all depends on Dustil really. Will he look past all of the entanglements and conflicting emotions he has to see me as his teacher? If he can do that, then I will train him."

A few hours later, Carth and Revan had strayed away from Dustil, leaving him to mull over his options and Canderous to carouse around the city.

They were sitting up on a ridge, overlooking the little settlement Telos had left. Night had fallen and Revan, for the first time in years, had the time to look up and admire the stars. "What made you change your mind?" she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Well, Jolee gave me the distinct impression that the only other option would be for Dustil to train under Bastila, and I couldn't subject my own son to suffering of that caliber," he joked.

Revan smiled, "Give her break, Carth. She really has lightened up," she laced her fingers through his. "Honestly? Why the sudden change of heart?"

She felt Carth tense slightly. "Like I said, I don't agree with it. Not because of you, though," he answered, sighing. _I really am no good at this. _"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I know my words came out a bit…harsh."

Revan silently agreed. They had definitely left their mark.

"I just, I know the Council is up to something and-" he stopped as he saw Revan break out into a grin. "What?"

"Thrown me to the wolves yet again, have they?" she asked, the words sounding all too familiar to them both.

"I'm being serious, Revan. Don't chalk this up to my paranoia yet. It's all just a bit odd."

Revan again agreed silently, but decided she'd had enough of the Council for one day.

"How did you crack Mission?"

"Crack her? There was no cracking to it. I don't get it. I've seen her lie to Hutts and Sith troopers without missing a beat, but somehow she can't tell a decent one to me."

Revan laughed lightly, "Because you're like a father figure to her. When she rescued us from the brig on the _Leviathan, _you promised her that medal from the Republic.When she was commended at the ceremony on Coruscant...that sealed the deal."

They were both quiet for a moment, just simply relishing the cool night and being together again. Staring out over what was left his homeworld, Revan tried to envision it as it had been before the attack, imagining the tall buildings and unique architecture that he had described to her so many times. She eyed Carth, gazing at him for a few moments before she was brought out of her thoughts and back into the present.

"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" he asked, admiring the glint of the moonlight in her soft blue eyes.

"The fact that we're here together with an empty ship, a whole night to ourselves, and no Council or Bastila to intervene."

* * *

"Yeah, only time will tell my foot," Jolee muttered as he left the Council chambers. "They'd just as soon wait until Carth was dead to take any action." 

Juhani nodded in agreement, "They do not understand the anchorage Revan has in him. If he dies..."

"This is true," Bastila agreed, once again feeling conflicting emotion rise within her. "But its not as if the Council wishes him dead, Jolee. They merely do not have the information they need to make a decision at this point."

"Bah. I wonder if they thought about this scenario. If Revan senses Carth is in trouble, she's going to run off, half-cocked after him. You saw in that vision as plainly as I did. Revan was not able to help him."

"But that's just it! We don't know that Carth is in trouble," her face was flushed with frustration. _They need to understand, but I can't tell them._

"Yeah not yet," he retorted, turning to look at Juhani, whose ears had flattened to her head.

Bastila continued, "I'll admit the Council shouldn't have been so quick to assess the situation..." she stopped mid-sentence, seeing their expressions. "I don't doubt the vision is from the future... Oh alright, fine." She threw her hands up in the air. "The Council might have been wrong about this."

Jolee replied somewhat indignantly, "I guess you're not as stupid as you sometimes act."

Bastila, who was still flushed, ignored the remark, "What do you plan to do?"

"First, we need to find out if Carth is actually in immediate danger, and second we need to inform Revan of a much _abbreviated_ summary of what's going on."

Juhani spoke up then, "I think Mission can aid us."

"What are you proposing?" Jolee questioned.

"I have spent some time speaking with Mission. As you know we both grew up on Taris and we both knew some of the same people. I believe she knows quite a few of Gadon Thek's well-wishers."

Bastila looked at Jolee, following his gaze across the gardens. Bastila was skeptical, and none to willing to forget that Mission had lied to her, claiming the Council had asked to see her immediately, allowing Revan to take off to Telos. "Mission? Juhani, I know she's capable of many things, but what exactly are you getting at here?"

"I think I know what she's getting at, Bastila. Now use those Jedi exercises of yours and be quiet." Bastila opened her mouth as if to say something, then shut it again quickly, following the other two Jedi as they led the way across the gardens. Jolee continued, "Juhani, I've only been to Taris a couple of times and that was a long time ago. Who are Gadon Thek's well-wishers?"

"He's a fellow Jedi, or was at any rate, and an officer in the Republic Navy. Like you, he disagreed with many aspects of their teachings. He now works with Republic Intelligence. If this Dyok used to be a soldier with Carth, then there would be files of him."

Jolee thought about this for a moment, "And where does Mission come in?"

"Well, If I remember correctly, Mission got him out of a tight spot once involving Davik. Seems he owes her a favor."

The three Jedi glanced across the gardens where Mission and Zaalbar were playing pazaak on one of the many tables scattered across the courtyard. Crossing the space between them, the Jedi made their way towards the pair.

"Aha! That's six games in a role Big Z, you don't have much left," Mission stated as she glanced at his small stack of credits that had diminished by over half of its original amount.

"I'll win them back," Zaalbar declared in the deep tones of his native tongue.

"Suit yourself," Mission warned. She then smiled up at the Jedi, noticing their presence, "Heya guys."

"Hello, Mission," Jolee greeted. "I have a question for you. Juhani has informed me that you know of one Tadek Kasara."

"Yeah. He worked for the Republic. His ship had some problems a year ago and he landed on Taris for repairs. He was so surprised at the state of things on Telos that he started doing some digging. I guess he uncovered something the Exchange didn't want him to know. I happened to run into him while he was trying to get away from some of their thugs. Big Z and me hid him out at the Hidden Bek base," Mission looked bewildered. "I think he was a Jedi once, did you know him?"

"No, but Juhani did," he stated as sat down in the empty chair beside her. "We think that Carth may be in danger and Tadek might have the information we need to prevent anything from happening to him."

"Carth? In danger?" she looked quickly from Juhani to Bastila then back to Jolee. "What kind of danger? What about Revan? Jolee, if anything happens to Carth she'll-"

"Yes," Juhani cut Mission's words short. "We know. We need you to call on Tadek for a favor long overdue."


	7. Stasis

**CHAPTER SEVEN: STASIS**

Tadek Kasara ducked through empty corridors straining his ears for any sound of approaching enemies, but all he could hear was the steady patter of his own increasing heartbeat. He concentrated on muffling the heavy clank of his boots on the slick metallic floor and on remembering his training. Peering out of the bulky Sith mask, he tried his best to use his peripheral vision, staring through the small slits that served as eyeholes. Deep in concentration, he ran his tongue over his lips tasting the salty sweat that coursed down his face. As he glanced back behind him, he saw a security droid whirring in midair. If possible, his heart rate increased even more. Tensing his body he slowed his pace and took on the more traditional march of the Sith. The droid buzzed, circling him skeptically for many moments before it was summoned elsewhere.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Tadek picked up his hasty pace increasing his speed and agility. One glance at his chronometer told him he had an hour to meet at the rendezvous point, or he would have to risk another two months aboard the _Interdictor_, hoping his true loyalty to the Republic wouldn't be discovered. As he rounded the last corner and began an almost sprint, blaster shots were fired just narrowly passing over his right shoulder. In reflex, he brought up his own blaster rifle, firing on two retreating Sith troopers who had sent the first blast in his direction. Unaware anyone was behind them, they turned, sending more shots in his direction.

"What are you doing?" one of them yelled.

_I could ask you the same question._

When Tadek didn't answer immediately the officer continued, "What's your operating number anyway? I haven't seen you around before."

Tadek scoffed as he subtly adjusted his mask. _I can't see a damn thing through this helmet. How can they tell they don't know me?_

"New recruit," Tadek answered lamely, instead.

"Well," one of the officers began pertly, aiming his rifle at Tadek, "What's your operating number?

"469271," he answered in feigned confidence, just as he had been taught.

The Sith officer turned his back and muttered something into his comlink. After an agonizing moment, he turned back to Tadek. "It checks out."

"Of course it does," Tadek replied.

The officer glared at him intensely before the other trooper began talking. "So lets get on with it then. We're looking for a couple of escaped prisoners. They were on the Republic ship we picked up near the Koth system."

_This is what happened last time..._

Tadek had no choice but to follow the two as they led him through winding passageways and corridors, wondering if Liss, Caine, and the other guys had been caught yet. The General had declared it to be a simple mission. _But nothing that involves crossing enemy lines is simple,_ Tadek thought bitterly.

As they walked through the main corridor that led to the hangar bay, shots could be heard resonating just on the other side. Suddenly the doors retracted themselves, revealing a band of Sith surrounding three of his Republic comrades. He looked toward the Republic ship and recognized six of the undercover team slain on the docking bay floor, mere feet from escape.

_Keep a clear head--_one of the three commands from his drill sergeant. Struggling to remember his training through the puffs of panic that clouded his thoughts, he tried to make his way from the edges of the crowd and into the middle.

_Blend._ Just as he began to move through the crowd he heard the familiar voice of the Sith officer that had stopped him in the corridor now offering him a direct challenge.

"I think we should test the new recruits, boys. What do you think?" Tadek heard the voice yell as barks of agreement erupted from the mass of troopers. "Glad you agree. You," he pointed at Tadek. "Let's see just how tough you are. There's more to being a Sith than just wearing the uniform. You get to dispose of this Republic scum. No one else fire, or you'll be the next target. At Attention!"

_Don't balk._

The Sith stepped back and fell into attention, as ear splitting silence fell over the room. The three Republic soldiers left standing, Caine, Liss, and Lyra, were looking at him disgustedly. They couldn't recognize him through the uniform.

"Fire at will number 469271."

He hesitated, the silence becoming overwhelming. His heart raced once again and he could hear his own raspy breaths resonating inside the uniform. His own men. His comrades. His fellow soldiers. _Don't balk._ He couldn't kill them, but not killing them could risk everything they had worked for over the past two years. _Keep a clear head._ Thinking on all the careful planning, the tweaking of those plans, infiltrating the bases, the other soldiers who had died, and the fact that now when it came down to the last few missions he could ruin it all.

He looked once more on the faces of his comrades, his friends. _Caine, my brother since pre-school and Liss, my best friend since recruitment. _His eyes then fell on Lyra as he felt the blaster rifle slip from his slender fingers and land with a clang.

"That's what I thought. Remove your helmet," he heard the officer's voice.

_Don't balk. _Tadek did as he had been instructed and cast one sorrowful glance at his fellow soldiers, locking eyes with them for a moment as he stared into their surprised faces.

"No!" Liss shouted.

Tadek saw the Sith Officer point his blaster rifle out of the corner of his eye, felt the smooth edge of cool metal pressing against his temple, but he never heard the ring of the blaster as it fired before everything faded to black.

As suddenly as the trigger was pulled, all of Tadek's surroundings disappeared, revealing instead stark metallic walls. Holographic disguises were switched off, as Destro Caine and Kesh Liss made their way toward him.

"Dammit," Tadek muttered, kicking at the ground. "I can never pass that damn simulation."

"What the hell were you thinking? You should have just shot us," Liss griped as he marched his way toward Tadek, Caine in close pursuit.

"I couldn't."

"You would have passed if you had," Liss added.

"No he wouldn't have," Caine answered. "We lost over half the team. Too many casualties. You can lose up to a fourth of your team before you fail."

"I don't understand why we can't pass. We have ran that simulation a thousand times." Liss declared as they exited the Simulation Room.

"You know damn well why. It's the top," Caine thought a moment then continued, "No team has ever passed except for the one Carth Onasi and Vren Dyok led."

"I followed protocol," Tadek went on as if he hadn't heard a word of their conversation, his face scrunching perplexedly.

"Ryth'll have our asses now," Liss declared.

"Kasara, in my office. Now," General Ryth's voice boomed over the loudspeaker and through the simulation area as if on queue.

"Might as well get this over with."

They swiftly began to make their way up to General Ryth's office, located only a floor above the Simulation Center As they jogged up the flight of stairs and down the corridor they continuously heard an announcement being made every few moments beckoning Tadek to the Communications Center for an urgent message. Tadek was rather interested to see what was so important, but he ignored his curiosity. The General's commands came first.

They entered the General's office, which was relatively bare. There wasn't much more than a desk, some chairs, a few medals, and paper work scattered throughout the room. Standing behind the desk was a slight, balding man, but who was no doubt significant in stature.

"Kasara," Ryth called as the young Twi'lek stepped into the room, his fellow soldiers at his feet. "Caine. Liss."

"Yes sir?" they saluted.

The General glared at them a long moment before sighing. "Kasara, why is it that you can never pass the _Interdictor_ simulation?"

Tadek didn't know how to respond. As far as he knew, there were no reasons why he couldn't pass, but he also knew if that really was the truth he would have, in fact, passed. He was completely lost on the subject. He had followed protocol. The general continued before he had the chance to respond.

"You were a Jedi, or close enough to being one. I know your ability to use the Force hasn't abandoned you. I encourage you to use it. This was your third trial. In each simulation run you have lost both yourself and at least one fourth of your team. I know this sim has a bad reputation, but if anyone's going to beat it, I'd put my bet on you three." He slapped a thick file onto Tadek's chest.

Tadek looked at him bewildered, grabbing it from the General's hands.

"That file contains every move Onasi and Dyok made on their successful simulation run. I was hoping you guys would make it without it, but..." he trailed off. "I want to see a green light on all of your files next time understand?"

"Yes sir," they yelled in unison as the page for Tadek rang out again.

"Now get out of my office. And Kasara, answer that damn page!"

Tadek wound through the corridors on one of the Republic's top ships, the _Relentless. _It had been one of the key ships in the battle over the Rakata home world, firing the final blow to the Star Forge. Greeting the guard at the door, Tadek went inside to see what message could possibly be so important.

"Some Twi'lek girl keeps trying to establish a transmission," the Sullstan behind the controls explained. "She's says it's urgent."

"Alright," Tadek answered, a small smile playing at his lips. "I'll take it in booth one."

He entered the private message booth and saw the holographic image of a small blue Twi'lek appear in front of him. He hadn't heard from her in almost twelve months. He felt it a pleasure to hear her voice again.

"Heya Tadek," Mission greeted beaming at him. "How are ya?"

"Hey Mission," he greeted, grinning back at her. "I wasworried when I heard about Taris. I'm really glad you made it through alright."

Mission's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. "Yeah, thanks," she hesitated. "Listen Tad, I need a favor."

"Of course, Mission," he smirked. "I believe I owe you one as I recall. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I need you to pull a file for me."

"Certainly," Tadek agreed, leaning back against the chair. "Whose?"

"Some soldier named Vren Dyok. I think he was released sometime around the Mandalorian Wars," she stated nonchalantly.

Tadek's smile vanished and he bolted upright in his seat. "Released? Mission, Dyok wasn't released," he paused briefly, "Now why would you want a file on him?"

"Are you going to do this or not?" Mission replied, her lekku swinging in agitation.

He sat back against his chair once again, silently brooding over his options. After a moment, he made a decision. "Yeah. I can get you the file, but only if you tell me what you need it for." He watched her carefully as she looked somewhere off-screen briefly and then turned her attention back to him.

She smiled coyly, "Let's just say I have some questions that need some answers."

A very large lump formed in Tadek's throat, and his stomach sank to his knees. The statement alarmed him profoundly. He knew what company the young Twi'lek had been in for the past several months, that of Commander Onasi and the Jedi Revan. Tadek had heard of the history between Onasi and Dyok. Dyok had vowed his revenge on Carth long ago and over time such things either strengthen or are forgotten. Tadek knew Dyok would never forgive Carth for the outcome of their last assignment together.

"Listen, Mission, I know you have the best intentions here, but Dyok has already proven himself a traitor to the Republic and a cold blooded killer. Most people believe he was lost during the Mandalorian Wars, but no one really knows for sure. Be careful. There's people that would think nothing of offing a young..." he started to say girl, but he'd already made that mistake too many times before. "Woman."

Mission's mouth drew into a thin tight line, "Yeah well, you don't have to worry about me. Big Z is still around," she glanced off-screen again. Before he could add anything else, she continued. "So just upload the file into your datapad and we'll drop in for a visit."

Tadek smiled once again, the beginnings of an idea manifesting itself in his brain," Oh don't worry about it, Little Blue, I think it's time I got off this ship for a while. See you on Alderaan."

The transmission was terminated, and Zaalbar looked over at Mission in question.

_"Little Blue?"_ Zaalbar asked in the odd intonations of his native language.

Mission peered back at him innocently, "What?"

_"Last time someone called you that, Mission, they lost a thumb and one expensive Pazaak deck."_

Mission shrugged, "I would never think of arguing with a Jedi."

Remembering all too many arguments Bastila and Mission had held on the _Hawk, _Jolee chuckled at the white lie.

"So what do we do now?" Bastila asked. "We don't even know if Dyok is still alive."

"For Revan's sake, we must assume he is," Juhani answered.

"Did you get a message through to the _Hawk_?" Jolee questioned Bastila.

"Yes I did but there was no immediate reply. I'm not sure there was a good connection. Telos is parsecs from here."

Jolee began pacing circles around the room. "Well, when you think about it logically, there's about a one in million chance that Revan was followed, and-"

"Correction: The chances that Master Revan was followed are very probable."

Everyone turned to stare at the droid incredulously except for Jolee, who gazed at him pensively.

"Why so high?" he asked.

"Explanation: You have to calculate the prospect that her whereabouts are widely known, because of the Galactic Tour. She also left Alderaan in the famed ship, _The Ebon Hawk_."

"Yes, that might not have been so wise, but I'm sure she wouldn't suspect anyone of following her," his voice dropped, "Well except for the Council, but anyhow, the damnable droid is right. Everyone knows where we all are because of the tour."

"But why would she be followed if they were after Carth?" Juhani asked.

"Revan is bait," Bastila answered.

"Bait?" Jolee asked incredulously. "Who would be stupid enough to use Revan as bait? A month ago she single-handedly took down the Dark Lord of the Sith. They would have to be harboring a certain deathwish."

"Well," Bastila began slowly. "Maybe not so much bait, but if Revan is distracted with an imminent threat, no matter how minuscule it may seem, she's not there to save Carth should anything happen to him."

"But with the loss of Carth…" Mission began again.

"Well Bastila, I must admit," Jolee said grinning at the young Jedi, "You took me by surprise there. Glad to see you are capable of your own thought instead of always spitting Council rubbish at us all the time."

Bastila thought about the statement for a moment. It was true. Ever since her fall to the darkside, she had clung to the Council's teachings and advisements even more so than before.

Mission looked anxiously at them. "So we just have to wait for Tadek then, right? I mean, there's nothing else we _can_ do, right?"

"Yes, that's all we can do, Mission," Bastila said, her usual haughty tone absent.

Jolee sighed, "I'll be glad when this is over."

* * *

Carth opened his eyes slightly, blinking against the bright light filtering in from the hallway. So caught up in the emotions from the night before, they hadn't even shut the door into the cabin. He smiled to himself at the memory of last night and for a moment time was still. 

Carth lay there in complete contentment. There were no inane plans to work the kinks out of, no star maps to chase, and not a single old Jedi Master breathing down his neck.

He focused his attention on the peaceful mass in his arms and laughed softly. She had stolen most of the bedding during the night, save a small section of the sheet, with her feet hanging out at the end. Her expression was completely serene, and he could only hope it was the thought of their future together that brought that tranquility to her sleep.

She stirred then, her eyes too blinking against the harsh rays of light from the hallway. She shivered, even under the majority of the covers, and he watched amused as she stretched each of her toes, curling them under, then back out, and under again. She then pulled her feet back under the covers and turned so that she was facing him, noticing the small piece of bedding she had left him.

She bit her lip, suppressing a smile, "Sorry. Guess I got cold."

Untangling herself from the blankets, she spread them back over Carth, who was still grinning at her. She snuggled into his warmness, sighing contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her. Just above her brow he kissed her lightly, then slowly made his way to her lips, sending tingles down her spine.

"Morning, Beautiful."

Revan kissed him back between words, "Better than waking up next to a cup of Jolee's Cafa."

Carth smiled again. It seemed to be all he could do around her, grin like an idiot. Though he did have to admit, Jolee's cafa was damn good. Looking back at Revan, she too held that goofy grin of love. But there was something else lying in that smile, something she didn't want him to see.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied burying her face in his chest to avoid his accusing gaze.

Carth pushed her slightly away from him, just enough so he could see her face. "I'm not buying it. What's wrong?"

"It was just another dream," she stated idly, staring at the ceiling.

Carth recalled the abridged tales of her dreams. He knew she seldom remembered anything from them because in saving her life, the Jedi reprogrammed her mind and erased all of her memories. For that Carth was appreciative of the Jedi. She didn't need to remember the horrible things she did as the Dark Lord.

"Did you…" he trailed off when she shook her head.

"No. Nothing new anyway," she thought for a moment, as if deciding whether to add what she was thinking or not. "Well, yesterday I did."

"Oh, you did? What was it?" He looked at her astounded, feeling a knot settle into his stomach.

"Dyok," she replied simply. "I'm not really sure what it means. I was planning to look it up in the Jedi Archives when we left Telos," she finished.

Carth's demeanor immediately changed. Dyok was a name he hadn't heard in a very long time and one he didn't know Revan was familiar with. "Dyok? Vren Dyok? I didn't know you knew him."

She looked at him puzzled, "I don't."

"Then why would you say that?"

"Say what?

"Say what?" Carth repeated in agitation, "Say his name."

"I had a dream, night before last. The only thing I could remember was that word. It's a person? "

"Yeah he's a person," Carth's brow furrowed. "I doubt you'll find anything on him in the Jedi Archives."

"So he's not a Jedi then. You know him?" Revan asked, closely watching Carth's reaction.

"Do I know him?" he echoed bitterly. "I know him, or knew him. All too well. He was my comrade and one of my closest friends until…" he grew quite for a moment. "No one knows if he even survived the Mandalorian War." he shook his head fiercely. "I'd forgotten about him. I forgot all about him in my vengeance for Saul."

"What happened between you two?" she questioned tentatively, using her Force abilities to sense what was underlying beneath his anger. He was full of hatred for the man, but she also sensed a hint of guilt.

"Yavin IV happened," he mumbled. Shaking his head,Carth tried to steer the conversation in a different direction, not wanting to let a rival from his past ruin the moment, " And that's another story for another time."

Revan decided this wasn't the time to prod. He'd tell her in time.

A long silence passed between them, each focused on their own thoughts. Laying contentedly in the other's embrace, they each regained their composure. This had been all they were asking for months now. Time alone to simply listen to the steady thump of their hearts, beating in satisfied unison. It was Carth who broke the silence nearly half an hour later.

"I meant what I said about Dustil. I don't condone it, but if you feel you must then I will allow you to train him."

At that Revan laughed. "Allow it?" she asked in amusement. "There would have been no allowing to it," she explained craning her head to look at him. "I would have done it anyways."

Carth chuckled softly, knowing full well she was speaking the truth. That's what he loved about her, she was so stubborn.

She laid her head back on his chest, listening to the slow pall of air rolling deep into his lungs and the soft tickle as he exhaled, sending its wispy fingers grazing across her face. She smiled to herself, thinking on everything that landed her here. She didn't deserve this and she knew she sure as hell didn't deserve him, but yet here they were.

"So what do we do now?" he questioned.

She took hold of his left hand, running her fingers over the purple scar where a shot from a blaster had grazed across the back of his hand. A trophy from the battle on the Star Forge.

"What do you mean?"

"Now that the war is over. What do we do now?" he asked again, pausing to look at her briefly. When she didn't give a reply he continued, "The Sith have been dismantled. The little resistance there is left surely isn't anything the fleet can't handle, much less worth us getting entangled in. The galaxy doesn't need saving from intergalactic turmoil anymore."

He watched as that why-now look flashed across her face and she sighed heavily. This wasn't something she wanted to discuss he knew, but it was past time.

"Carth, I see where you're going with this," she looked at him coolly. "I don't want to go there." _You have the worst timing in the galaxy_.

"Well, Revan, I want to know what you want. The tour is over in a week. What then?" Carth was bursting with anxiousness.

"Dustil, Carth. Dustil is after that."

It was Carth's turn to sigh. _So maybe it wasn't the best time for this conversation._

"I thought you were going to _allow_ me train him," she continued as she sat up, wrapping part of the heavy blanket around her. "Change your mind again already?

"No but...I...," he stammered trying to think of a better way to put it, "I was just hoping we could have some time."

Revan didn't say anything, but instead glared at him with an icy glower that at one time would have washed the spines of thousands in prickly fear.

Carth was no exception. He attempted to atone for it, "You know what I mean, Revan. An extended period of time. No other obligations..."

Revan's expression softened slightly. "I can't, Carth. I have to serve the Jedi. Training Dustil is something I have to do." Her tone took on a bitter edge, "You can't romance me out of it if that's what you're thinking."

He looked at her, wordless. "No, Revan, I wouldn't...that's not..." he stammered, becoming agitated. For her to even consider that perturbed him. What he really wanted to tell her was that he wanted a family. After over twenty years in the military, Carth was ready to walk. He was tired of the attention, the constant action; he just wanted to rebuild his life on Telos. But he could see in Revan's eyes that she still craved the adventure the life of a Jedi offered.

"I do want you train him." It was a lie and they both knew it, but it would keep the peace. Hoping to change the key of the conversation to a much more melodious tone, Carth continued on. "So what are we going to do without all that adventuring and action to keep us busy?"

She eyed him coyly, crawling the length of the bed back to him, not stopping until her lips were barely touching his, "Oh, there'll be plenty of action."

* * *

Striding through the door from the all-night Cantina and into the musky Telosian back streets, Canderous stepped out into a world all too familiar. There wasn't much left erect on Telos, but what was left of the once bustling city now proved well for harboring smugglers and illegal spice traders. A lack of law enforcement and local government left everyone to more or less police themselves. 

He meandered on through the streets, slowly making his way back toward the _Ebon Hawk_. The night was now fading to a dusky dark as dawn approached, painting the horizon a vibrant array of gold, which then faded from fuchsia to a deep indigo the farther from the horizon he looked. Late last night he had returned to the _Hawk_ but he saw that the loading ramp was up. He could have got in if he wanted, but he knew that Carth and Revan were finally getting the _peace _they deserved, and he didn't want to walk in on that.

He wound up on the main street of town, right in front of the ruins of the Military base. As he was staring out upon the razed base, a cold chill slithered up his spine and he found himself unable to move. He had never seen the silhouette slinking in his shadow, nor had he heard the quiet mumble as the Jedi froze him in his place, enveloping him in a stasis field.

"The Mandalorian. I was wondering which of you I would encounter alone first."

Canderous tried to respond but found he was completely paralyzed, able to do nothing but listen to this little punk's taunts.

"No matter, though. It's that Republic soldier everyone is after. He now has a bounty on his head, larger than any smuggling run I could ever hope to make through Nar Shaddaa"

_If only I could reach my blaster this kid would be a smoking corpse_, Canderous thought angrily.

"Since I've already enwrapped you in a stasis field this won't be much fun."

Canderous was suddenly shrouded in lightning as volt after volt electrified his flesh. After mere moments of this torture his world swiftly faded to black.


	8. Pursuit

**CHAPTER EIGHT: PURSUIT**

Sliding around the corner, Carth barely managed to strap on his blaster holster and throw on his jacket before skidding down the loading ramp of the _Ebon Hawk_. Landing with a loud thump he took off at a sprint, barreling through the blast doors of the docking bay and out into the Telosian streets. Digging his heels into the dusty earth he accelerated until he was running full force. He darted through the early morning shadows, chasing a dark silhouette in the distance.

"Revan!" he hollered after her, but then thought better of it. The Telosian people hadn't been quick to forgive the former dark lord for the destruction of their planet."Alora!" he called instead.

Revan had been looking through the ship for Canderous one moment and barreling out the _Hawk_ the next, mumbling something about a disturbance. Carth dodged through a small crowd lined up by the medical facility, losing complete sight of Revan.

_Dammit_.

Sweat began to trickle down his face as he continued to sprint, attempting to regain some of the lost ground. It was almost useless. Revan was quick, but he was certain she was hastening her speed through the force. Carth came to an abrupt halt, looking wildly around him. The path in front of him split into an intersection, offering him three separate directions of travel.

"Alora!" he screamed uselessly.

Listening intently for footsteps, echoes, anything to give him a clue, he bent over slightly, attempting to catch his breath while he decided which direction to go.

He looked to his left, staring down a dim alleyway. Something in his gut told him to take this street, but he knew it would bring him around the main streets instead of directly through them, and he was somehow almost certain that Revan had headed straight, directly through the main streets toward the old military base.

He glanced to his left, then back to the center street.

Carth didn't have to think twice. Ignoring his instincts he lengthened his strides, dashing down the main streets and into the Market District. Large crowds were already forming in the square and as the day wore on they would only get thicker. The District had been swift to rebuild and was just about the only place to get supplies on Telos. Without missing a beat, Carth dodged through the people, swiveling between two children who soon began chasing after him.

"Mister!" the oldest one called.

Carth acted as if he didn't notice, hoping that without encouragement they would get bored with the pursuit. He pushed himself harder, now trying to outrun them. Perceiving it as a game the children sped up, laughing as the younger one pulled ahead.

"It _is_ Commander Onasi!" he could hear the smaller one yell, "I told you so!"

Finally, Carth made it out of the Market District and into a lesser-developed area of the city. Unlike the District, the silence here was so overwhelming it seemed as if this section of the city was still fast asleep. The only sounds came from three pairs of feet clamoring through the street and the echoes made as the noise resonated from building to building.

Suddenly, Carth's young competitors came to an abrupt halt, stirring up dust as they slid to a stop. Glimpsing at them, he saw expressions of absolute terror on their faces. Placing his right hand over his blaster, he moved in front of them and stood protectively. On the other side of the village square stood six dark Jedi, each with a lightsaber dangling at their side. Assessing the situation Carth realized his first and foremost concern would be to get these children out of here alive.

Once again falling in line with the children, Carth stepped back, never taking his eyes off the Sith. He sunk to one knee directly between them, gently pulling them closer so that they could hear him.

"When I tell you, I want you to run back the way we came as fast as you can, okay?"

The children nodded in compliance.

"And no matter what, don't turn back. Just keep running, okay?

"Okay," the oldest one whispered and grabbed the hand of the younger, who was still nodding.

Carth looked reassuringly at them, "Okay. Not until I say."

He rose, lifting himself back to both feet. _Focus. _Taking in a deep breath, he grabbed his blasters, stepping forward away from the children. Aiming, he fired several shots as a bolt of sheer electricity struck him. Searing pain coursed throughout his body and Carth fell to his knees, writhing.

Within moments the torture ended. Shaking his head to clear his hazy vision, Carth slowly regained his balance and rose, standing shakily. He recovered his senses, aiming his blaster once again. One of the Sith lay on the ground unmoving as the other five quickly advanced toward him. _One down._ He fired hastily, but each bolt bounced off of their lightsabers and flew in random directions throughout the square. He could never survive a close range attack against them with just two blasters. He wished now more than ever for a vibroblade. _Or a Jedi or two, _he thought wryly.

Uselessly, he rapidly fired once again. The Sith seemed to mock him.. They easily deflected his aggressive attempts, the distance between them ever minimizing. Carth backed away slowly, still shooting repeatedly. He took two steps, three, then stepping back once more his foot stumbled and he fell, crashing to the ground. The Sith swiftly made use of his misfortune and completely surrounded him. Jumping back to his feet, Carth glanced down to see what he had stumbled over, a look of sheer horror falling across his face. He wasn't the only one that had been struck by Force lightning. Carth had never told the children to run.

The Sith advanced toward him, but the dark Jedi didn't strike. They circled him, toying with their prey.

"Alive," the leader reiterated to the others.

"I would rather kill him," another Sith said, inching toward Carth, twirling his ignited saber from hand to hand.

Carth's mind reeled. There were worse situations he'd been caught in, but not by much. He had been trained to fight unequal battles, but he had gotten so use to having two or three Jedi fighting at his side that he couldn't remember the last time he'd been thrown these kinds of odds. Tiring of the argument, the Sith directly in front of him reared his lightsaber back and Carth winced, waiting for the impending blow. As he heard the lightsaber whirring towards him a thousand fleeting images rushed through his mind—thoughts of Revan, Dustil, and Morgana.

But the blow never came. Carth heard something fall to the ground with a grunt and opened his eyes just in time to see Dustil swing his lightsaber down, striking the second of the Dark Jedi. He looked on, amazed at the style in which he fought. It was definitely not that of the Jedi. Instead of fluid, guided motions Dustil seemed to lash out. His motions were tense and full of hostility. He was using his anger and aggression to feed his strength and ability. Carth winced as he caught site of his lightsaber. Deep crimson, just like the rest of the Sith.

The fight moved away from Carth and toward the edge of the street where Dustil had the last of the Sith cornered. With them distracted, Carth made his way back toward the children, checking for any signs of life. He stooped over the eldest boy and dropped to his knees, sighing as the boy inhaled a ragged breath and sat up.

"Are you okay?" Carth asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The boy nodded slightly, bringing his hand to his face in an attempt to wipe away some of the dirt from his eyes.

"Okay, I'm going to go check the little one. Is he your brother?"

"Yes," the boy replied, making an attempt to stand.

Carth pushed him back down, lightly. "You just stay here for a moment, alright?"

A knot once again formed in the pit of Carth's stomach as he eyed the younger boy. He hadn't moved. As he bent over him checking for a pulse, he could see several burn marks on the surface of his skin. The boy needed medical attention.

_Damn Sith. _

All three of them had many burns, but somehow the boy had received far more extensive damages than Carth or his brother had. Just as Carth scooped the boy into his arms, he felt the cold barrel of a blaster jab into the back of his head.

"Let him go," came the feminine voice from behind.

Carth eased the child back down onto the ground, glancing across the Telosian street as he did so. The fight was over and Dustil had disappeared.

"Now step away, hands up."

Raising his hands up, palms forward, he slowly sidestepped the child and pivoted around to find himself facing a woman. He looked from her, to the boy, then back to the woman. The resemblance was obvious. Blaster still pointed toward him, she bent down toward the child, checking his pulse.

"Pip? Can you hear me?" She ran a hand lightly across the boy's head. Some of his hair had been singed away along with some of the skin on his face. She cradled his body with one arm, bringing her face to rest on his. "Oh, Pip."

Carth instinctively ran his hand down his side, reaching toward his blaster just for ease of mind, but it wasn't there. He must have dropped it during the fall.

"I said keep your hands up!" she ordered, waving the blaster in front of her. _That's _my_ blaster. _"I can help him," Carth offered. "I have a ship a-and medical supplies. You won't have to wait in line at the Dis-"

She jerked her head toward him. Tears were now streaking down her face, leaving trails as they rinsed grime from her cheeks. "You. This is because of you. You did this."

Carth stared at her in shock, "N-no. I-I didn't. No. It was the…look." He pointed to where the fight had been mere moments ago, but now the streets were empty except for the corpses of six Sith. "There were dark Jedi, the-"

"No," she said through gritted teeth. She rose, facing Carth at point blank range. "It was you. They followed you here and you let them." The woman was crying freely now. "You've killed my boy."

Carth's heart wrenched. His eyes darted back to the oldest boy, who had finally stood up, but now seemed to be frozen in place with fear.

" Please. Listen to me. He's not dead. You're wasting time argu-"

"Why else would the Sith be here if they weren't after you." The woman was now weeping with wracking sobs as Carth tried to ease toward her. "You killed him."

_If I can just get a chance to disarm her…_

"Stay back," She sobered up suddenly, jabbing the blaster toward him.

Carth took a step back, his hands still hanging in mid-air. He stared into the woman's eyes, seeing how parallel they had been to his own five years ago. She wasn't merely stricken with grief, she was mad with it, as he had been when he thought Dustil had been killed in the Sith bombardment.

With tears still streaming down her face, the woman aimed the blaster pointblank at Carth's heart. "Some hero you are."

* * *

"Tadek, you can't just take a month long furlough," Liss stated, his mouth gaping, as he and Cain followed Kasara to his quarters. Tadek ignored him as the door to his room nearly closed on Liss. "You just can't. Talk about General Ryth. You think the simulation was bad, wait until he finds out your going AWOL. You'll be court-martialed." 

"But he's _not_ going to go AWOL," Cain said somewhat skeptically, staring at Kasara. "He's going to come with us to the mess hall for dinner, and then he's going to begin dissecting the Onasi-Dyok simulation file."

Tadek ignored both the men, continuing to load random items into his bag. _Clothes, datapad, refresher stuff, what else..._

"Look," Cain began. " We're not letting you leave this room until you have changed your mind. This Twi'lek girl may really be something, Tadek, but she's not worth you getting a dishonorable discharge."

Turning around to look at the two of them, Tadek began to laugh. " That's why you think I'm leaving? For a girl? Do you two nerf-herders really think I would go AWOL? Especially after all the work we've done on the mission training and on the sim?" he returned to packing his bag. "I cleared it with Ryth an hour ago."

"Oh." Liss looked at Cain, who stared back at him. "Good," Liss continued, "because we know you'd never go AWOL or anything."

Tadek only nodded, chuckling lightly under his breath as he sealed his bag and slung it across his shoulder. "I'll be gone for a week at least. Alderaan is more than a few parsecs from here, so I'll start dissected the simulation file. If I get the chance, I may see if I can question Commander Onasi about it. If you guys could dissect our simulation run from yesterday, we can compare them when I make it back."

"Yes sir," they both agreed.

"Great. See you guys in a few days, and I'm not kidding. That file better be done," Tadek turned on his heel and strolled out the door toward the Hangar Bay.

"Hey Kasara! My great-grandpa really was a nerf-herder you know. I resent that remark!" Cain yelled down the hall as Tadek fell out of sight.

Liss stared at him, rolling his eyes.

"What?" he replied, shrugging. "He was."

" Well that explains _a lot_," Liss teased, groaning as Cain playfully landed a punch in his stomach.

As Tadek powered up his ship, ran the required preflight checks, and entered coordinates into the navicomputer for the hyperspace route, he began to let his mind wander. Mission and her friends could be digging themselves into a deeper hole than they realized, but he could only assume three Jedi would know how to handle themselves. _Well, maybe it is best not to make assumptions about Jedi, _he thought. _I've made them before and I was wrong. _

The long pinkish scar ran from the edge of his shoulder to the middle of his wrist,and still stung from time to time. Even now it tingled as Tadek remembered the man that had given it to him, as well as the singeing feel of the lightsaber burning its way down his arm. Though it had been over a year since the accident, he could still catch a vague whiff of burnt flesh, as if the white-hot icy pain had been sent blazing down his arm just yesterday.

Shaking away the memory, Tadek let go of all his thoughts. Though he hadn't voluntarily touched the Force in years, he still used the old Jedi calming techniques to clear his mind. As he once again opened his eyes, he began to perform a few more last minute checks of the _Intrepid _before setting a course straight for Alderaan.


	9. Descent

**A/N:** Please review with any comments or friendly criticisms you may have. That can be one of a writer's most useful assets and would be much appreciated :D. Thanks and hope you enjoy!

**CHAPTER 9: DESCENT**

"Some hero you are," the woman spat.

Carth tensed as he found himself looking down the barrel of his own blaster, where countless hours of work, upgrades, and modifications now stared him in the face.

_I've got to do something,_ he thought. _If I don't this is going to get really messy, really fast._

He knew reasoning with her was futile. Looking into her pale green eyes, he felt his chest constrict as watched tears drip onto her cheeks. Her glare was one of the utmost hate and contempt, one he knew all too well. Carth searched for something, anything to say that would strike a chord within her. Anything to make her realize she was making a mistake.

"Listen," he began, slowly dropping down beside the boy. "He's still alive, but if we don't hurry, he might not be for long."

The woman stared at Carth intensely, tightening her grip on the blaster.

"I have a ship filled with supplies and kolto," he explained. "If we go now, I should be able to stabilize the wounds. Please. You have to let me try."

Bending one knee, the woman slowly lowered herself to the ground, never taking her eyes or the blaster off of Carth. With one hand she reached out toward the boy, placed her fingers against his neck, and checked for a pulse.

"I…I can't tell," she said desperately.

As he watched the woman ease her head down toward the boy's nose and mouth to listen for any sign the boy was breathing, Carth caught sight of a figure approaching them from his right. His breath caught in his throat when he realized it was Dustil. Shaking his head slightly so as not to draw the notice of the woman, he attempted to warn Dustil off.

"Father?" Dustil questioned as he stopped a few feet from them, his eyes quickly darting from the boy, to the woman, and finally to the blaster once again aimed at Carth. "What's going on?" he asked as he tentatively attempted to slide his lightsaber from his belt.

"Drop that," the woman commanded as she rose to her feet. "Hands up right now, or I'll shoot him."

Realizing he had no other choice, Dustil slowly laid the lightsaber on the ground and gave it a nudge with his foot. The lightsaber rolled toward the woman, stopping at her feet. Without looking down the woman lifted her left foot and gave the lightsaber another nudge with the bottom of her shoe, sending it rolling swiftly behind her.

"Save him," she ordered Carth with a newfound vigor. "Save him or I will kill your son."

The woman turned the blaster towards Dustil and took three steps back, now able to easily keep them both in her line of sight.

"I told you already," Carth repeated, forcing his voice to remain even as the weight of her threat registered in his mind. "The supplies are on my ship. We'll have to take him there."

"Actually, Father, I've got a kolto injection in my medpac. Standard Sith-issue."

Dustil unclasped the small box from his utility belt, handing it to Carth. Withdrawing the syringe and needle from the pack, he cleared his head. It had been awhile since he had dressed wounds like these. On the _Ebon Hawk_ Jolee usually handled the more critical injuries from their battles. Straightening out the boy's arm, Carth inserted the injection into the boy's flesh, hoping there was still time.

"Hand me the antiseptic," he instructed Dustil. "After I spread it on an area, place a kolto patch on top of it."

Pulling the patches from the medpac, Dustil swallowed hard, nodding slightly as he proceeded to follow his father's orders.

"Pip," Carth asked after a few moments. "Can you hear me? Pip?"

Leaning toward the boy, he turned his head sideways so that his ear was hovering just above the boy's mouth and nose.

_Oh no you don't._

Counting, Carth pumped the child's chest in even rhythm attempting to revive him.

"Save him," the woman repeated softly as a sob nearly overtook her voice.

That was Carth's every intention. He again pumped on the child's chest, but he still remained unresponsive. Several minutes passed by while he repeated the same motion, each returning the same result.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing more I can do," Carth declared breathlessly.

"So'm I," the woman replied as fresh tears streamed down her face.

"NO, WAIT!"

Carth lunged toward the woman, knocking her to the ground as a blaster bolt escaped the barrel with a piercing ring. Scrambling to her feet, the woman dropped the blaster, and picked up the body of her dead son. As she headed back toward the Market District, she stopped briefly to grab the hand of the boy's brother, dragging him along behind her.

Dustil had fallen to his knees, his hands covering the site where the blaster bolt hit. Carth caught him as he slowly fell backwards, instantly easing him to the ground. After straitening his legs out in front of him, Carth pulled Dustil's jacket off of his shoulders to better examine the blaster wound. Peeling back the layers of his burnt clothing, tears welled up in Carth's eyes as he saw the scorched skin of his son's chest. Cradling Dustil's body in one hand, Carth checked his own pockets for a comlink with the other, knowing that Canderous always carried one with him.

"I will not lose you again," Carth whispered vehemently. "I will not."

As his hands finally closed around the device, he let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ordo," Carth stated calmly into the comlink, hoping that Canderous would be on the other end this time. They had tried to reach his comlink earlier before leaving the ship, but the Mandalorian had never replied. "Ordo this is Onasi."

Though still unconscious Dustil groaned slightly, rolling his head to one side.

"Hang in there, son," Carth said as a few stray tears spilled over onto his cheeks. "Hang in there for me."

"Can you read me?" he called as panic threatened to overtake him. "ORDO!"

"You won't be hearing from the Mandalorian anytime soon," a voice explained from behind Carth.

Straining to look over his shoulder, Carth saw a hooded figure standing merely a foot behind him.

"Who the hell-"

Before he even had time to finish the statement, the butt of a disruptor rifle struck his temple and pain instantly overtook the left side of his head. Carth fell the short distance to the ground, his face planting onto the dusty street with a thud that resonated through his ears. Though he was barely conscious of the warm stream of blood that cascaded down the side of his face, Carth was copiously aware of a very familiar presence in his mind as his world was immersed into darkness.

_Revan._

* * *

Finally easing to a stop directly in front of the military base, Revan arrived at the end of the Telosian main street. Closing her eyes, she cleared her thoughts and kneeled on the ground, hoping to gain some clarity on the situation. Canderous hadn't returned to the ship last night, and though that itself didn't bother her, the fact that he didn't answer any of her pages on the comlink had. In any situation in which the crew had been separated from the rest of the party and the ship, each had carried their own comlink. Even now, Canderous had insisted on following the tradition. Not because he feared Revan couldn't protect herself, but, he had said, "Because you can never predict the outcome of battle. No matter what the odds." 

This made perfect sense to Revan. The Mandalorians had attacked the Republic, knowing full well they could defeat them. Only by stroke of luck, or destiny as Jolee would quickly argue, did Revan and Malak defy the Council and join the war. Most of the galaxy agreed that without them, the Republic would have lost.

A mutual respect had grown between Revan and Canderous, starting from the day she became the Swoop Racing Champion on Taris. They understood one another from a unique perspective. Conquering worlds that put up a challenge brought Canderous's clan glory and proved they were a capable breed. The more battles they fought in, wars they won, and numerous their conquests, the more honor they received. Canderous was a warrior through and through and in the end, so was Revan.

Canderous's people had been defeated not by the Republic, or even the Jedi, but instead by Revan and her unrivaled military prowess alone. A tactician to the core, Revan had known when to make sacrifices and when to suffer losses in order to advance goals. Though Canderous found it hard to respect the Republic for some of their meager actions on the battlefield, he found it easy to respect Revan.

This constituted an allegiance to her that Canderous would gladly follow to his death. He admitted it was intoxicating to bask in her power, but he also knew there was much more to it than that. Canderous felt the same loyalty to Revan that he had to Mandalore. After the defeat of the Mandalorians on Malachor V, he never thought he would believe in something to such a degree again.

Revan reciprocated the respect. The Mandalorians were more than a formidable opponent for the Republic and the Jedi. Though they had far superior technology, with their Basilisk War Droids and other indigenous machinery, it hadn't been enough. In the end, strategy and tact prevailed over sheer muscle and power.

Surrounding herself in the Force, Revan let herself flow with its wispy fingers as it caressed her environment. She opened herself to its suggestions, cautious for any allusion it could place in her mind. Several moments passed as she remained completely still, listening intently.

She could see Canderous in her mind and almost feel his presence in the Force. Unbeknownst to them, Canderous and Carth both held a very similar presence in the Force that differentiated only slightly. Both the warrior and the soldier's bloodstained past held an unambiguous path of death and destruction, but where Canderous still held an underlying desire for the exploits of war, Carth held a suppressed mixture of guilt and regret.

Suddenly, Revan heightened her senses as she felt an unfamiliar presence. Pushing herself deeper into the Force's grasp, she attempted to locate and latch onto the source. She could see the shadow of a man. A Force adept. And a very strong one at that.

Unexpectedly, Revan felt the familiarity of Carth's presence, but his aura tingled with panic and fear.

"_Ordo. This is Onasi."_

_There was a short pause in the transmission as Carth waited for a reply._

"_Can you read me?" _

_Another pause._

"_ORDO!"_

Revan's eyes shot open as she flung herself off the ground. She hadn't heard Carth's distressed call through the Force, she had listened to it with her own ears. Canderous's comlink had sounded from somewhere nearby. Roaming her eyes over the street she searched for the comlink, keeping her ear tuned for another distraught call from Carth.

Revan stumbled as pain fleetingly threw itself across her mind, suddenly realizing she'd unconsciously maintained a light clasp on Carth's presence through the Force. Deciding she couldn't waste any more time looking for the comlink, Revan turned back, focusing all of her attention to Carth. She had to find him, something was horribly wrong. Instead of retracing her exact steps, Revan cut through one of the many alleyways. Though it was still heavily covered with debris, it only slowed her down slightly and in the end would give her a faster path to Carth.

Emerging through the alley, Revan caught site of a durasteel fence at least three meters taller than herself blocking the path. Without another thought, Revan began the ascent up the barrier, traveling as fast as she dared while still maintaining her balance. Upon reaching the top, she balanced herself and easily swung her left leg to the opposite side. Picking her right leg up in the same easy motion, a sudden tremor in the Force caught her off guard. Feeling both the emotional and physical pain Carth was suffering as if it were her own, she lost her balance and collided forcefully with the dusty Telosian earth.

Revan didn't move immediately; the fall had more than knocked the wind out of her. Opening her eyes, she became acutely aware of another presence in her immediate vicinity. Still lying on her back where she landed, Revan craned her head to get a glimpse at the figure now eclipsing her view of the sun, casting a shadow across her face.

"If all Jedi were as clumsy as you, Revan, we actually might have won the war."

"I'm not clumsy it was Carth," she mumbled as she sat up slowly. Holding one hand to the side of her head just behind her right ear, Revan looked up at the towering figure with only one eye open.

"Canderous! Where have you been? You wouldn't answer the comm call, I felt this disturbance and-" Revan stopped abruptly as her eyes finally adjusted. "You look like nine kinds of Corellian hell."

Canderous reached out an arm, helping a disheveled Revan stand to her feet.

He answered her gruffly, "I had an unpleasant encounter with one of your Jedi and his lightning. Lucky for me, my implant kicked in. But I think he's after your Republic boy, so we should really talk about this later."

Revan knew he was right and with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she once again opened herself to the Force as they continued to backtrack towards the _Ebon Hawk_. She pushed forward, despite the pain coursing through her right temple. Numbing herself to the throbbing sting, Revan used the Force to distance herself from it.

"You could have just used your lightsaber to cut through the fence," Canderous pointed out as he shot a glance to the cylindrical object hanging from her belt.

Revan didn't reply immediately. He was right and there was no way around it. She had been so keen to reach Carth, to stop his pain, that she once again had acted brashly and it could have easily cost her more than a headache.

Instead of retorting, Revan merely nodded an acknowledgement. The time of making excuses for herself was long in the past, buried deep alongside an identity she couldn't remember.

A lengthy silence stretched between the Jedi and the Mandalorian as they continued to make their way back down the street as quickly as their injuries would let them. Thoughts began to race across Revan's mind so rapidly that she could barely register them before another would take its place. First, a very Bastila like voice scolded her for being careless, followed by an image of Mission telling her how Carth's face had lit up at the mere mention of her name, and then the Jedi Council slithered into view, reprimanding her for directly disobeying the Jedi Code accusing her of retracing old footsteps to the path of the darkside.

"Revan!" Canderous finally yelled, snapping her away from the fleeting thoughts. "Look."

Directly ahead of them a man lay motionless on the ground, and Revan felt as if she'd just been trampled by a herd of Banthas.

"Dustil!"

Revan immediately began to search for his presence in the Force as she dropped down beside him, her lips tightening into a grimace has she felt its faintness.

Canderous walked to the other side of him, bending down on one knee to examine the wound.

"Looks like a blaster bolt struck the left side of his chest. Lucky for him, he didn't get a direct hit. It seems like it grazed the side of his chest, but it's still a pretty nasty wound. I don't know if there's anything you can do."

Revan sighed as she looked up at Canderous. "Do you have a medpac?"

Canderous pulled a medpac from his belt, one of Jolee's own, and handed it to Revan. As she began to dress the wound, Canderous walked around the square, looking for any clue as to what happened.

"Well," Revan began several minutes later as she closed the medpac and clipped the case to her belt. "That's all I can do until we get him back to the _Hawk. _What's that?"

Canderous was rising to his feet, holding a blaster. Closing the distance between them he extended it to Revan.

"Onasi," he said. "The kid was shot with his blaster."

As Revan took Carth's blaster from him, a lump formed in her throat.

"Think you can carry Dustil back to the _Hawk?"_

"Sure, but what are you-"

"I've got to find Carth. He wouldn't shoot is son and if he by some incident did, he wouldn't run off and leave him," she paused a moment, spotting a small plasteel object resting near Dustil's head.

Revan retrieved it, throwing a glance at Canderous. "Okay. When you get to the ship, inform me. We'll keep in touch that way. I'll check in periodically to tell you what I've found."

Canderous nodded as he eased down to pick up Dustil, watching as Revan sprinted off through the buildings without so much as a glance behind her.

_Stay with me, Carth,_ she thought as she glanced down at the blaster in her hands. _I'm coming._

* * *

"So, Tadek," Mission began. As she sat down beside the dark-headed figure, she couldn't help but return the genuine smile he gave her. "What have you been up to since Taris?" 

Tadek grinned, happy for the company and the break. Switching off his datapad, he placed it in his lap and gave his eyes a good rub. The datapad contained the sixty-seven-page rundown of the Onasi-Dyok simulation, which Tadek had now analyzed so many times he nearly had it memorized.

"Well," he began. "I've been serving the Republic."

Mission didn't know that his presence on Taris had been because of the Republic. He was investigating reports of Sith dealings with the Exchange and had come a little too close to uncovering some semblance of the truth. A price was placed on his head and every bounty hunter this side of the sector turned out for the hunt. "I think a much more interesting question would be, 'What have _you_ been doing since I last saw _you_ on Taris?'"

"Oh you know. Not much really. Just the normal things me and Big Z do. Explorin' and stuff."

"That's it?" Tadek asked as he raised an eyebrow, his green eyes twinkling with amusement. "Since when are we the cryptic one, hm?" Tadek made a pointed glance at Jolee, Juhani, and Bastila, who were all crowded around a viewscreen examining the file he'd given them, then glanced risibly back to Mission.

Mission didn't answer. Instead, she stared at him with the utmost look of seriousness plastered on her face.

"Come on, Little Blue," he prodded again. "You assist in saving the Galaxy from intergalactic turmoil and you don't have anything to say about it?"

Mission blushed briefly at the nickname but recovered quickly, enveloping her face in a wide, toothy grin.

"Okay," she began excitedly. "So Big Z and I were explorin' like always in the sewers of the Lower City, when Zaalbar was captured by Gammorean slavers! That's when I ran into Carth and Alora, well Revan. After we freed Big Z I promised to sneak Alora, er… Revan, into the Black Vulkar base to get back a prototype accelerator they stole from Gadon Thek. Alora, well, Revan, swoop-raced for the Beks and won, which saved Bastila from the Vulkars and-"

"I still maintain that _I_ saved Revan from the Black Vulkars," Bastila stated as a matter-of-fact, her eyes never straying from the screen in front of her.

Mission paused just long enough to roll her eyes at the Jedi. With extreme emphasis on the first word, Mission continued. "An-y-ways, after _Revan_ saved Bastila from the Vulkars…"

Bastila tuned out from Mission's recollections of the events leading up to the Star Forge and instead focused her full attentions back on the file before her. All three of the Jedi were huddled around a viewscreen in the common area of the _Paladin's Luck,_ Tadek's personal starship, as they traveled through hyperspace on the way to Telos attempting to piece the facts in the file together. The best information they received were reports of sightings of men who looked like Vren Dyok and a brief description of Carth's last moments with him taking from a debriefing on their last mission together. Bastila felt like there should have been more to the file, almost as if it were incomplete.

The file began with typical recruitment data such as Dyok's name, birth date, weight, height, homeplanet, date of recruitment, squadron, and etcetera. Bastila didn't see anything too important there. As it continued, the file went on to name the stations and fleets Dyok had been assigned to during the Mandalorian Wars, along with the corresponding dates. Straining her eyes to follow the small print, Bastila leaned in closer to the screen.

"It seems Dyok and Carth were in the same squadron," she pointed out. The others merely nodded, having assumed that particular fact already.

Following immediately after the record of Dyok's tour of duty during the Mandalorian Wars, a much shorter list stated his assignments to ships and planets during the Jedi Civil War.

"What do you think?" Bastila questioned as she stepped back from the screen.

"I don't know. I can't make much of this file. There's a lot less information here than I would have thought," Jolee sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Wait a second," Juhani interjected, her eyes still poring over the file. "I never heard of Yavin IV in any of our travels for the Star Forge. I thought it was a remote planet without modern life. Why would the Republic be there?"

Tadek suddenly rose from his seat, joining the Jedi at the viewscreen. Examining the file for himself, he began to shake his head slowly in confusion. "The Republic wasn't there. As far as I knew there had never been any sort of assignment or operation on Yavin IV."

"During the war with Exar Kun, the Jedi fought there," Jolee answered. "But there never was Republic presence there."

"I don't understand how he could just disappear," Mission contended as she moved to fill in the small gap between Juhani and Tadek.

"He didn't just disappear," Tadek replied, turning to look at Mission. "It was easy and happened often. Especially during the beginning of the war. Soldiers, hell, even officers joined the Sith. No one knew who to trust anymore. Revan and Malak's influence didn't end with the Jedi."

"Right," Mission continued, nodding her head. She had heard the Jedi point this out several times during their quest for the Star Forge. "You're saying he switched sides?"

"It is obvious," Bastila said, somewhat despondent.

"Well, it's no wonder Carth doesn't trust nobody," Mission replied. "First Saul and now this guy."

Jolee nodded in agreement as his head churned with one thought after another. "And you have said there have been no reports that this man is alive?"

Tadek shook his head grimly, "No reports of his death either."

"I guess we'll just have to wait until we get to Telos. Hopefully Carth can provide us with answers to our questions. Until then, shoo. All you young people are giving me a headache," the old Jedi ordered as he once again began rubbing his temples. When no one moved Jolee released his head from his hands, glaring at his fellow passengers. "Shoo I said! Just standing there with your mouths open, attracting flies. No one listens to their elders these days…"

As they turned away from the viewscreen and a ranting Jolee, Tadek whispered to Mission, "Is he always like that?"

Smiling, Mission nodded her head and rolled her eyes. "Always. Thinks we should do everything he says just because he's been around the block a few more times than we have. But he's still pretty endearing for such A SENILE OLD JEDI!" Mission finished, raising her voice just loud enough so Jolee would be able to hear the last words.

As Mission took another step she seemed to trip over some invisible object and crashed to the floor of the _Paladin's Luck,_ with a painfully thunderous smack.

Taking Tadek's extended hand, Mission climbed to her feet, seething.

"I _hate_ it when they do that!" she exclaimed glancing back at Jolee, who was fussing with his robes and appearing as if he hadn't noticed a thing.

Walking towards them, Jolee spoke to Mission most seriously as he passed. "You really should be more careful, Mission. You could really hurt the ship next time you fall."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh ha ha. Very funny, granpa."

Mission turned sharply on her heel, catching sight of Tadek, who immediately stopped chuckling and made a poor attempt at a straight face.

Glaring at him briefly, Mission turned as if to walk back toward the cockpit. As Tadek made a move to catch up with her, falling in at her side, Mission jutted her foot out to her right and tripped him, sending him hurling toward the ground. With nothing but the harsh metallic floor of the_ Paladin's_ _Luck _to break his fall, Tadek could only curse as he smacked the floor in one swift, resonating clank.

He couldn't help but smirk as he watched Mission leave him, her lekku swinging behind her with what must have been sheer satisfaction. Tadek sighed as he pushed himself to his feet.

_This is going to be a long week._


End file.
